PANJIM: All the extravaganza accompanying the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) comes at a huge cost to the exchequer.
For the current year, Entertainemnt Society of Goa (ESG) revealed that the State’s cost will be Rs 18 crore, of which the sponsorship that the State is expecting is Rs 5 crore. That’s less than 33 per cent of the costs, but will ESG really be able to rake in that much through sponsorship?
Past records indicate that it may not. Take a look: In 2014, the expenditure was 12.92 crore and in the subsequent years from 2015 to 2018, the spending stood at Rs 13.55 crore, Rs 22.62 crore, 17.44 crore and Rs 12.05 crore respectively.
In contrast, IFFI receipts for 2014-15 were recorded at Rs 1,26,97,479, in 2015-16 ESG generated Rs 1,40,24,994, in 2016-17 the revenue dipped to Rs 95,98,866 with a little jump to Rs 1,28,63,641 the following year.
The glamour at the IFFI venues and glitter across various parts of the State have come at a huge cost and the amount spent has been whopping.
Get this, the major contributor to ESG revenue has been through the use of its facilities for various purposes. Details for the financial year from 2014-15 indicate that ESG has earned around Rs 18,30,88,383 till date, whereas the expenditure incurred is much higher.
Congress has in the past raised queries over the IFFI expenditure, especially during the festival time, even as the issue goes into silent mode thereafter. In a fresh attack against the government, Congress has accused the BJP of converting ESG into ‘Extravagant Society of Goa’ and IFFI into ‘International Fraud Festival of Goa’. This is a clear indication that the opposition has charged the government with corruption over hosting of the festival.
IFFI is in its Golden Jubilee edition this year, and it is also the festival’s 15th year in Goa. During the past years, subsequent State governments have spent several crores of rupees, albeit with partial financial assistance from the Centre. For instance the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s expenditure to this year’s festival is Rs 22-23 crore.
But can Goa spend such a massive amount on IFFI, when it is earning nothing in return? That’s something to ponder upon for the State.
