PORVORIM: Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar stated that he will strongly oppose any move to shift the Sunburn electronic dance music festival (EDM) to his constituency even as Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said that there is no request for holding the event at Mopa. The four-day event will require NOC from the Department of Tourism and Goa police besides other authorities. However, Arlekar said, “No matter what, I won’t allow the Sunburn festival at Mopa.”
There was a war of words and opinion over the holding of EDM festival in the ongoing Assembly session on Friday. After one of the members mentioned that this year’s EDM festival will be held either at Old Goa or Mopa instead of usual Vagator, the Pernem MLA strongly opposed it stating that he will not allow Sunburn festival at Mopa. “We don’t want Sunburn in Pernem Taluka,” he reiterated.
The organisers of Sunburn had recently announced that the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of EDM-lovers to Vagator every year, will be returning to Goa for its 19th edition over the last four days of December. However, despite putting up ‘early bird’ tickets for sale, the organisers have not revealed this year’s venue.
On the other hand, Khaunte said that presently there is no request for holding Sunburn at Mopa. The event will require NOC from the Department of Tourism, he said, adding that such festivals help to boost tourism.
Responding to another question about harassment of tourists by the traffic police, the Tourism Minister said when it comes to violation of traffic rules, the police cannot differentiate between Goans and non-Goans. Everybody should be treated equally. But Khaunte admitted that vehicles should not be simply stopped, if they are not violating any Motor Vehicle Rules.
