Goa/IFFI in the news - Eddie Verdes IFFI preparations give Goans heartburn By: Priscilla Mehta April 18, 2004 http://www.mid-day.com/news/nation/2004/april/81397.htm
The International Film Festival of India moves to Goa from Delhi this year. Conservationist groups and citizens are upset over the fact that heritage structures are being given out for receptions, trees are being cut down and that the Mandovi River is being filled up. Fashion Designer Wendell Rodricks said, “I support the fact that the festival is happening in Goa. What I do not support is that for an eight-day so-called festival work is being done to destroy the beauty of Panjim.” Local journalist Ethel D’costa added, “A couple of Sundays ago, they began cutting down very old, mature trees. We went there personally to stop them from it and found that they didn’t even have licenses to do so. The next day the contractors were hurriedly issued licenses and the work continued.” Said Municipal Councillor Patricia Pinto, under whose ward 17 a majority of the events are to take place said, “People have been asking questions like whether spending crores of money on an eight-day event is justified or not. "Even when people asked for information under the Goa Right To Information Act, they’ve been told that under the Act there needed to be a competent authority to answer questions and that no one had been appointed to be that competent authority. So by exploiting a loophole, citizens are left with no answers.” Refuting the charges, Rajiv Sen, managing director for Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), the nodal agency for all the infrastructure works says, “We took time ourselves to finalise the plans and have now put up some of the information on our website.” Meanwhile Honorary Secretary for the Goa Heritage Action Group Heta Pandit said, “Of the mature trees only three are going to be cut. The planners have tried their best and have agreed to compensate.” Architect and member of the infrastructure committee Lucio Miranda said, “The issue of the trees is a minor one. We’re proposing to use an urban design element that will benefit Panjim for the next 100 years. Now if there are four trees in the way, let’s not hold back for sentimental values.” One of the main venues for the festival is going to be the Palace Maquinezes also known as the old Goa Medical College. Local conservationists are upset that heritage site is going to be given out for receptions. Pandit said, “Of the structures that are going to be demolished, they were only two minor structures that were built in the 80s. Our group believes in re-cycling and re-use. We actively encourage adaptive re-use of old structures that have outlived their original purpose.” Moreover some others say that it’s not merely a Panjim problem. Money is being spent to widen roads in certain areas like Panjim, while other areas in the rest of the Goa don’t even have that basic infrastructure in place. Summing up, Rodricks said, “We would simply like it if the authorities were more considerate to the citizens, the flora and fauna and the historical sites that we have.” Meanwhile the Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar said, “I’ve been busy with the elections and am not aware of what’s been happening on that front for the last few days.” Now the state has only seven months to get the city spruced up for the event. But before the officials can brighten up the surroundings, they have much to do before smiles return to the faces of the citizens of Goa ########################################################################## # 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 # ##########################################################################
