PANJIM: The State government is scheduled to decide afresh about continuing with the Shigmo festivities from Monday as several municipalities and Shigmo committees have cancelled the celebration in deference former chief minister Manohar Parrikar who passed away on March 17.
Tourism Secretary Ashok Kumar held a meeting with the tourism officials on Friday to seek their views if the annual festival needs to be continued as per its schedule from March 25 to April 5.
Except for Ponda, Vasco, Quepem, Margao, Sanguem, Valpoi and Canacona, the rest of the municipal councils have officially communicated to the department their decisions to cancel the Shigmo parades and celebrations in their respective areas.
In view of Parrikar’s death, the government had partly cancelled the festival, slated between March 21 and March 24 to observe State mourning till this period, while the float parade across other places was scheduled as per original date.
In view of the latest development, Secretary Kumar and Director of Tourism Sanjiv Gadkar held a meeting to seek the views and suggestions from the municipal councils and Shigmo committees on conducting Shigmo festivities in their respective municipal areas.
“For those municipal councils that are continuing with their plans of conducting the Shigmo parades and festivities, Kumar informed them that the proposal would be forwarded to the government to take a final decision. This would also be subject to approvals from the Election Commission in view of the model code of conduct being in force in Goa for the by-polls. To a request from those municipal councils who are not conducting Shigmo celebrations, but have already incurred initial expenses towards preparations, the Secretary Tourism requested the representatives concerned to submit the accounts for consideration of compensation as sought for by the committees,” an official said in a media statement issued on Friday evening.
