Response: The following was my prior posting on economic development in Goa and a reference to the film festival in Goa story. I think this news item is important for Goa and Goans in Goa. The Goans in Goa are the only ones who can make the decision on the film festival. However I was touring Beijing a year before the Olympic committee selected Beijing the sports festival and saw how hard the citizens of that city were working to attract the international event. And recently we saw Vancouver work hard and win the international Winter Olympics. The Indian / Bollywood film festival in Goa will be a cash cow for Goa and Goans with unimaginable ripple benefits with all the publicity. Those against the project have a heavy duty of responsibility for themselves and their children. So let us not make flip responses to this project on the Goanet. Talk is cheap. Those planning to spend 200 crores hopefully know what they are doing and will work to make it a success both in the short and in the long run.
My past posting: "Opportunity comes knocking but once" as the saying goes. And after those endless debates, all we have are a lot of broken shells and egg on our face, while somebody else has made the omelet. Recently, there was a strong push from non-Goans for India's International Film festival to be located in Goa. The only voices on the film festival on the Goanet (the smart Goans both within and out of Goa) were against the project. Other countries spend millions of dollars trying to woo an international event like the summer or winter Olympics or Asian games. Gilbert Lawrence. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Frederick Noronha (FN) Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 2:28 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Goanet] NEWS: Goa zeroes down on four coastal sites for its "Cannes" Goa zeroes down on four coastal sites for its "Cannes" Panaji (Goa) July 8: Dreams in celluloid, egged on by political ambitions and the business lobby, and supported by New Delhi, Goa which is otherwise quite in its peaceful shell is making a serious plunge to host India's international film fest here. Technocrat-chief minister Manohar Parrikar, a never-say-die politician with immense confidence in his own abilities, seems to have taken on as a challenge naysayers who believe the country's smallest state is too small and too ill-equipped to take on this role. Plans for Goa to become a tinier version of "India's Cannes" were announced in June. There were indications of this coming, with a team of officials and a politician from Panaji taking part, unusually, in this year's Cannes film fest. But after the announcement, blessed by the BJP-alliance ruling Delhi, the plan was hit by skeptics back home as also by criticism from the lobby that seemed upset to shift the film festival out of Delhi. Moving swiftly, Panaji's "Key Advisory Group" for selection of site for the proposed International Film Festival in Goa short-listed four sites from six sites selected at a meeting meeting held on the weekend. In keeping with the Cannes spirit, all four were beach venues located along the more-hyped central Goa coastline -- at Aguada, Velsao-Cansaulim, Varca and Cavelossim. Significantly, three of the four potential venues fall in South Goa's Salcete taluka, a more recent entrant to tourism and where the beaches are seen to be less crowded than along stretches of the North Goa coast. Two other sites that had earlier been selected were Bambolim, on the outskirts of state-capital Panaji, and Quitol, a remote beach in the southernmost taluka of Canacona close to the Karnataka border. Goa's state government announced here that members of the 'Key Advisory Group' present, besides local politicians, included heads of the FICCI and CII -- two chambers of commerce -- looking after the film sector, Yash Chopra Subhash Ghai respectively. FICCI, or the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has been among the early proponents of shifting the film festival to Goa, and modelling it on the lines of Cannes. The CII is the Confederation of Indian Industry. Others present included Bobby Bedi of Kaleidoscope Ltd, Ms Anjuly Duggal who is the joint secretary films of the Government of India, Ms Neelam Kapoor (director Films Festival), and Ms Meera Tshering, a director representing the Government of India. In a recent move, the Goa government named state secretary Ms. Jayashree Raguraman as the Principal Director of Information and Publicity, creating an additional slot and suggesting this was due to the additional responsibility of the planned film festival. Said an official statement: "The group short listed the sites after long deliberations taking into consideration all the requisites (needed)." It said among the requirements to be looked at would be infrastructure needed, floating population generated, local ambiance, communication facilities, scenic beauty, recreational and cultural facilities, commerce, availability of land for creating required infrastructure for setting up requisites for the festival and "several other issues". Goa director of land records, Mihir Vardhan, made a presentation on the six sites selected. Land, in this small state of 3700 sq.km. with a density of population higher than the rest of India, has sometimes been the awhiles heel of major projects coming up here, leading to disputes with villagers. BJP chief minister Manohar Parrikar was official quoted as promising "all facilities" at the selected site, and saying that other major projects slated for Goa included a new airport in Mopa (North Goa), a special economic zone in Pernem for industry and IT, a "Goa Bazaar", a film city, a shooting studio and tourism-related water sports. Goa has, in the past, announced some major projects -- leading to protests from those opposed -- but has been unable to implement many, including major golf courses, a Japanese holiday village, and even a Free Port. FICCI's Yash Chopra favoured sites along the South Goa coast, stating he was acquainted with the area and it had required facilities. He said socio cultural activities would have to be promoted all the year round and biggest attraction would be the boost to the economy. He suggested Goa promote hover-craft facilities as the 30-40 km distance by road to the proposed sites were long and speedy sea route would be interesting. CII's Subhash Ghai said besides cinema halls and convention halls, the locations should maintain a Goan ambiance. Some five star hotels along the Goa coast have incidentally come in for flak for bringing in a bland globalised culture, rather than promoting the charms of the region.(ENDS) ######################################################################## ## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ######################################################################## ## ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
