Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Goa of “being on sale” and “indulging in scams causing loss to the State Treasury” from two proposed EDM(Entertainment Dance and Music) festivals in the north coastal belt of the State, the Congress on Wednesday threatened to approach police with a criminal complaint.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress House in Panaji, Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said that the Goa Government has decided to give permission to two EDM festivals 'in principle' changing its stand on such festivals being a “headache” as per a noting erstwhile Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar made in government files last year. He had no objection to the government announcing a single-window clearance to such EDMs.
However, what was objectionable, according to him, was that despite the rules governing such entertainment events that cent per cent advance tax be collected on the tickets and tickets have to be authenticated by Commercial Tax authorities prior to sale, the organisers have gone ahead selling tickets on-line since August.
His point was about 'Sunburn festival' which has been a consistent feature in Goa's party itinerary for some years now, but on the flip side, has in the past attracted controversies over issues ranging from the death of a 23-year-old girl from Bangalore due to alleged drug overdose to allegations of corruption over granting of permissions to the festival or crowd mismanagement.
What appears to have come handy to Congress spokesperson on Wednesday was the fact that, faced with a spate of controversies linked to the festival, even the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in an official noting had said to the State’s principal Secretary, "Sunburn has been a big headache due to complaints of drugs/smoking/traffic jam and allegations of kickbacks, forced to give free tickets. Unless these issues are sorted out, all such festivals need a re-look. May discuss for clarity."
Mr. Kawthankar was quick to use this noting of Mr. Parrikar, which incidentally is part of a judicial proceeding at the Bombay High Court in a defamation case filed by Sunburn's promoters Percept India against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State vice president Trajano D'mello, who had demanded a probe into alleged kickbacks paid to Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar for granting permission for the festival.
"If the government finally decides to cancel permission to such EDM festival then what happens to the sale of ticket,” asked Mr. Kawthankar and went on to argue that Goa’s fair name would be tarnished.
He went to the extent of accusing the BJP government of being 'on sale to brokers and middlemen' and threatened to file criminal complaint with the police if tickets continue to be sold without requisite authentication.
