GOVT APPROVES THE FUNDING PATTERN FOR CARNIVAL ORGANISING COMMITTEES

PANJIM: Setting to rest the speculations about the hosting of Carnival floats in various towns of Goa, the government approved the funding pattern for various carnival organising committees in the state, on Friday.  The Carnival celebrations would begin in the state from March 5 and the funds would be made available to the committees well in time.

The file for funding various organising committees to host the Carnival floats was cleared by the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat. Accordingly the organising committee in Panjim would receive ` 30 lakh, while the organising committees in Margao, Vasco, Mapusa and Ponda would receive ` 15 lakh each from the government.

Meanwhile, top sources in the tourism department have denied that the funds meant for Carnival celebrations were diverted to fund the trip of state officials, including the Tourism Minister, Mr Nilkanth Halarnkar, the Chief Secretary, Mr Sanjay Kumar Shrivastava, and the Tourism Director, Mr Swapnil Naik, to the United States of America for promoting Goa as a tourist destination there.

The sources further stated that the trip to the United States was planned for June 2010 but had to be postponed for some unavoidable reasons.  They further stated that the trip including the road shows was listed in the calendar of events of the department and approved by the government much in advance.

Earlier, following uncertainty as regards the allotment of funds by the department of tourism for the city Carnival celebrations, the Panjim Carnival Committee 2011 headed by Mr Joaquim Teles had written to the director of tourism, Mr Swapnil Naik desiring to know the details about the funds sanctioned to the committee to plan the arrangements as well as programmes for Carnival 2011.

The lack of response from the department had put the city Carnival celebrations in jeopardy.

“A meeting of the office bearers of the Panjim Carnival Committee 2011 was held on February 22, 2011, after the cancellation of another meeting convened by the department of tourism on the same day,” the letter had said, adding “In the cancelled meeting, the department of tourism was supposed to indicate the budget/ funds allotted to Panjim and to other centres around Goa where Carnival parades are held.”

“Till today we are not aware of how much funds are allotted to Panjim, and in the absence of this figure, it is not possible to plan the arrangements, activities and programmes for organising the Carnival, which is only eight days away,” the letter had pointed out, noting that the media including the electronic media, as well as people outside Goa are inquiring about the programmes for the Carnival, while the committee was unable to provide any information.

“There is limited time at our disposal and the work of Carnival including barricading, illumination, setting up of stages as well as pandals and other woks have to start from March 1,” the written communication had maintained, pointing out that this had to be done by inviting quotations as per the GFR, which required a minimum of 15 days.

“Then the invitees including VVIPs and VIPs have to be invited by sending them invitation cards and all this requires at least fortnight, which is not at our disposal,” it had informed.