Govt given options on Sunburn shift: Percept (Herald)

Govt given options on Sunburn shift: Percept September 12, 2013 TEAM HERALD OLD GOA/CALANGUTE: Admitting that Candolim is a “restricted area with too much commercial activity leading to congestion,” the managing director of Percept, the company that organises ‘Sunburn festival’ has said other options have been forwarded to the State government to enable Sunburn shift to a larger and congestion-free space. On the other hand, former MLA Agnelo Fernandes has insisted that Candolim is best suited for the festival and hit out at Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo by claiming that their statements on Sunburn were nothing but attempts to “extort money from the organisers.” Responding to Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar’s reluctance to have Sunburn 2013 organised at Candolim due to traffic congestion, Percept Ltd Vice Chairman and Managing Director Harindra Singh said: “We also agree with the tourism minister and the State administration as Candolim is a very restricted area as there is too much of commercial activity, where Sunburn creates congestion.” “In the past few years, we experimented with traffic movement and we did a lot of things, but there was congestion. If Sunburn has to grow, it has to be moved to a more open spacious place. We have suggested a couple of options to the government,” Singh told Herald, but declined to reveal the alternative sites suggested by the company. Commenting on claims by Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) Vice-Chairman Vishnu Wagh that the festival was spoiling the Goan youth, Singh replied: “People are free to express their views. We have sent an application to the State government as a festival like Sunburn is being the world over. We are even organising it in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and we have also organised it in Dubai, Sri Lanka and now we are going to Singapore and Jakarta this year.” “But if the State government believes that it is not good for the youth, it has to decide in the matter as our application is pending with the State government. Though we have gone live with the tickets, the ticket carries a condition stating that we have applied for permission and if we don’t get the permission, there is a full refund on the tickets.” Singh pointed out that the Sunburn festival has been generating revenue for the State. “Besides direct and indirect taxes, we bring in 20,000-30,000 people with disposable income, only to visit Sunburn in Goa,” he said. Meanwhile, former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes has claimed that recent statements by Parulekar and Wagh questioning the staging of Sunburn Festival at Candolim were nothing but “an indirect attempt to extort money from the organisers.” “They are just trying to make a point over one another to bargain the price to hold Sunburn at Candolim. The two MLAs also made similar statements last year, but the festival was ultimately organised at Candolim.” “The venue at Candolim is one among the best suited for the festival and has been better organized with ample parking spaces,” he stated. http://www.oheraldo.in/News/Local%20News/Govt-given-options-on-Sunburn-shift-Percept/79355.html