PANJIM: The Opposition Congress Party has urged both the District Collectors and other government departments not to grant permission to Sunburn electronic dance music (EDM) festival anywhere in the State due to its controversial past of violation of government directions/permissions, drug nuisance, noise/air pollution and death of EDM participants.
The Congress has also enclosed copies of the old memorandum submitted against Sunburn EDM festivals along with the representation to highlight that Congress, Youth Congress and Mahila Congress were fighting against these EDM menace relentlessly.
In the representations, former Congress general secretary Janardhan Bhandari has highlighted various deaths that occurred due to alleged drug overdose at the EDM festival site, in 2009 (Neha Bahuguna), 2014 (Isha Mantry) and 2019 (Sai Prasad, Venkat Satyanarayana and Sandeep Kotta). In 2013, ANC arrested Saurabh Agarwal of Raipur inside the EDM venue for possessing charas and during that raid, some more people were also seen consuming drugs at the venue. In 2013, the Calangute police arrested five persons with narcotics at another EDM festival site which created suspicion that drugs were a major draw at these EDM festivals.
The High Court had observed that despite clear and categorical instructions, the EDM organisers exceeded 55db(A) sound permission on all three days in 2022 which was a serious contempt of court instructions and further observed that other breaches of the permission and noise pollution rules were also noticed besides exceeding the prescribed decibel levels during the event.
Even the Chief Secretary had admitted that the permissions were granted by the SDM and the SDPO to the organisers, within 24 hours in gross violation of the rules.
Apart from these controversies, heavy traffic congestion was witnessed during the Sunburn festival on Siolim-Anjuna roads resulting in chaos and altercations among commuters/vehicle owners. Another serious issue is about law and order. The Goa police were extremely burdened due to these criminal activities. The EDM festival put tremendous pressure on police force during the peak tourist season.
In the past these EDM organises had levelled serious allegation of bribes against the State government for granting permission to EDM.
The then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar then warned the EDM organisers either to prove bribes allegation or tender apology. The Sunburn EDM festival was also opposed in Pune for promoting nudity, obscenity, alcohol and drugs.
Keeping in mind all these facts, the Congress demanded not to sanction permission to Sunburn festival anywhere in Goa due to its controversial past of violation of government permissions
