TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The State Level Event Permission Committee (SLEPC) sub-committee report suggests that it may be inclined to giving the go ahead for Viacom 18 to organise the Electronic Dance Music festival at Candolim this December as scrutiny of documents has been completed. The findings are to be submitted to the government on Monday.
Indications are that even though Viacom 18 has furnished documents of land lease agreements for an area of 75,000 sq meters to hold its event, the committee findings are that around 25,000 sq meters is under dispute and the balance 50,000 sq meters is clear and available for hosting the EDM event.
“This area seems to be quite sufficient and we have accordingly prepared our report and will submit it to the government next week,” said a member of the sub-committee.
Sources say that the committee has looked into ground realities and growing opposition against Sunburn from locals and plot owners and will accordingly advise the SLEPC on all critical issues before it takes the final decision.
This member said that the sub-committee has done its job with due diligence so that there will be no further complications as the matter has been rather complex.
Once the report is submitted by the sub-committee to the government the SLEPC is likely to convene its meeting thereafter and recommend to the government on who should be given the licence for hosting the EDM.
Meanwhile, Francisco Mickky Pacheco said that his EDM event ~the Goan Beach Grind, is also in the race and cannot be ignored by the committee in the wake of the disputes arising between the promoters of Sunburn and Supersonic over the Candolim venue.
Pacheco said that he has also submitted all documents for his event at Baga which includes NOCs from the Goa Tourism Development Corporation and the Calangute village panchayat.
He said, “The applications of Percept and Viacom 18 should be thrown out as they are fighting over land and the matter is sub-judice,” adding that he has all the land available for his event.
The Nuvem MLA pointed out that he would not let the government have it easy if his application was not considered.
“Right now I am just waiting and watching,” he said further disclosing that the government should not take him lightly just because he is supporting it.
Pacheco said that he has no intentions of shifting his event to South Goa if he was not granted a licence for an event at Baga.
He felt that government was succumbing to pressure from vested interests and also alleged that there could be huge kickbacks in lieu of licences sought for. Pacheco also took potshots at the government over the single window clearance system for tourism events explaining that this committee comes into action only in December to grant licences for two or three big events which are charged exorbitantly. Pacheco said that he was also unhappy over the huge fees levied for tourism related entertainment events and said that just as the government has killed mining so would tourism be destroyed if the government continued to squeeze event organizers.
