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International Film Festival of India (IFFI) To Stay In Goa Despite Change of Government At Center
Section Tourism & Culture Posted on Sat May 29, 2004 at 06:32:16 AM EST
(Note: Pune has our own Film Festival called the PIFF - Pune International Film Festival. For details please contact Ms. Moti Irani, Co-ordinator, PIFF, at email address piff@vsnl.net)
Goa would maintain its status as permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) inspite of the change in government at the Centre, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Thursday. "IFFI is part of the international calendar and its venue cannot be changed. But there is no reason to change the venue just because the government at the Centre has changed. I will be meeting the I&B Minister as well as the Prime Minister next month to brief them," Parrikar told reporters. Holding IFFI was always a dream project for Parrikar. However, with five months nearly gone, around four months of heavy monsoon ahead, the various projects being completed by the end of the year is actually in great doubt. Expressing confidence that all projects would be completed before the October 31 deadline, the Chief Minister said: "All these are expansion programmes and except for the construction of a multiplex, the work involve upgradation of already present structures. It should not take much time." Click on "Full Story" for more.)
Parrikar also denied any ecological damage would be caused due to widening of roads and beautification exercises being carried out in the capital as part of preparations for IFFI, to be held sometime in November. "The environmental impact report presented by the National Institute of Oceanography says any impact on the flora and fauna will be short-lived and of a minor nature," he said adding, all the proposed activities were on a pile foundation and used riverine space for a temporary period. Several environmental groups as well as Opposition parties have raised questions at the government's alleged arbitrary style of functioning with respect to IFFI, accusing Parrikar of neglecting environmental concerns in favour of commercial gain.
While the Opposition Congress in the state is not "on principle" opposed to the selection of the state as a venue, the party has posed some serious questions. "It appears that the state government is in utter haste, ignoring the doubts over several environmental aspects raised by NGOs, the functioning of the Goa state infrastructural development corporation-- the nodal implementing authority-- and the demolition of public assets with impunity to pave way for the project. "The ordinance only proved that the BJP wanted to bulldoze through the project paying scant respect to the details of such a big event," reasons state Congress president, Luizinho Faleiro. He even asked, "Was the chief minister only trying to create a project for his own constituency as he gets elected from Panaji?"
From The Times of India - May 29, 2004
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