NT Staff Reporter
Panaji, Sept 2: The information and broadcasting ministry team headed by the I&B secretary, Mr Navin Chawla is understood to have suggested expanding the scope of the International Film Festival of India to entire Goa by covering parts of South Goa district and extending programmes like public viewing so as to avoid any criticism against the IFFI.
Mr Chawla was speaking to state government officials at Samrat Theatre here this evening while inspecting city�s twin-cinema hall. IFFI programmes should be taken to far-flung places so that more people would be benefited by it, instead of restricting all programmes to Panaji, he opined.
The I&B secretary along with the I&B joint secretary, Mr A Amanullha, the Goa information secretary, Ms Jayashree Raghuraman and other state government officials visited cinema houses in Margao and Vasco-da-Gama. Cinema theatre owner, Mr Praveen Zantye accompanied the team.
The team inspected the seating capacity and toilet facilities and suggested upgradation of the facilities inside the theatres to international standards.
When contacted, Mr Chawla refused to comment on the representation he received from the Congress party. �I will meet Goa mediapersons during my next visit,� he informed.
Earlier in the day, the I&B team inspected the IFFI-related project sites at the old GMC complex and the Kala Academy complex and sought replies to various queries, especially about the completion on schedule of the projects.
The team also met a delegation of Goa Congress unit at state Guest House, where the leader of the delegation and former Goa pradesh Congress committee chief, Mr Shantaram Naik tried to bring the I&B team home to the feasibility of holding the IFFI in the state from next year.
The I&B team called on the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar at the Chief Minister�s official residence, where Mr Parrikar assured the team that all works would be completed as per schedule. The chief secretary, Mr Dev Singh Negi was also present.
Mr Naik told a press conference that Mr Chawla has assured the Congress delegation about the I&B ministry taking �appropriate decision on the matter�.
�We also presented the I&B officials with a copy of the report prepared by the Congress study team,� Mr Naik added.
He said the team was apprised of the exposition of St Francis Xavier, which would take place at Old Goa around the same time as the film festival.
The team was also informed about other aspects linked to the infrastructure development works for the IFFI, such as construction of the multiplex at the heritage site without having permission from the Panaji municipal corporation and Planning and Development Authority, lack of financial support from the Centre for the project, absence of transparency in the IFFI activities with failure to take the local people into confidence, lack of parking space at the multiplex venue, and so on, he informed.
He said the central team was also told about the road widening work of the road which runs from Patto to Dona Paula.
�Construction of a new Patto bridge, which is part of this road widening work is being done without seeking permission from the Coastal Regulatory Zone authorities, thus defying the authority of the central ministry of environment,� the Congress study team chairman alleged.
At present, it appears that the state government would not be able to complete infrastructure work by October 31, as assured, since the testing for acoustics and lighting system would itself take at least three weeks after the required structures are raised, he observed.
The Pernem MLA, Mr Jitendra Deshprabhu, who was part of the Congress delegation, said that Mr Chawla was requested to probe as to whether the infrastructure works for the film festival adhered to the standards required and conformed to the guidelines of the I&B ministry.
�Besides, the three public theatres required for such a film event have also not being readied as envisaged by the state government in its policy that was announced in February, 2004,� he said, adding that the city theatres, presently in very bad state, are yet to be upgraded to the international level.
(courtesy: www.navhindtimes.com)
- Forwarded by www.goa-world.com
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