PANJIM: Sunburn, Goa’s oldest Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival is eager to make a comeback but not until “certain issues” with the authorities are settled. Similarly, Goa government has decided to grant it permission provided the organisers of the festival, Percept Live, pay the pending dues to Commercial Taxes Department and Goa Police.
During a high-level meeting with Tourism Minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar and other tourism officials, Percept Chairman and Managing Director Harinder Singh put forth the company’s conditions, while the government panel too remained adamant claiming ‘no Sunburn till the dues are cleared’.
“There are issues and we are doing our best to address them. We have been heard, we have been met at the highest level. Everybody has understood our problem and we are hopeful there would be a resolution soon,” Singh told Herald after the meeting. He, however, refused to divulge the issues claiming it was between the government and the festival organisers.
Expressing his willingness to bring Sunburn back to its traditional venue, he said, “I will not apply till our issues are resolved.”
Singh added, “We want to come back to Goa. Sunburn without its second name ‘Goa’ is not complete. The festival ‘Sunburn Goa’ sounds good. We want to settle all differences and be friends with them (the opposition sections) and then work together.”
Azgaonkar confirmed to Herald that the government will not allow the festival until the company clears all dues. “They will have to pay all the dues to the government only after which we will consider their proposal for hosting the festival in Goa,” the minister, who has often supported EDMs in Goa, said.
Singh as well as Azgaonkar clarified that no fresh proposal has been made to recommence the festival in the State. Sunburn officials are expected to hold another meeting with the minister next week.
Sunburn and Viacom 18’s Supersonic – both of which shifted to Pune last year – owe the government Rs 6.82 crore approximately. As per government records, Sunburn has an outstanding amount of Rs 1,75,50,573 to the police department for the years 2012-13 to 2015-16 and Rs 2.18 crore approx to the Commercial Taxes department.
The meeting comes at the time when the government is positively considering granting permission to a new EDM at Sunburn’s former venue in Vagator. Incidentally, the festival dates also coincide with the then dates of Sunburn and Supersonic.
‘Time Out 72 Music Festival’ is likely to get permission from December 28 to 29, 2017 at Vagator.
Ayush Mehta of Sudarshan Entertainment Pvt Ltd (Limited Liability Partnership), Ahmedabad, has proposed to hold the festival in survey number 206/1 at Vagator, opposite Hilltop in Anjuna.
