IFFI-2010 PREPARATIONS REVIEWED BY THE CHIEF MINISTER DIGAMBER KAMAT

PANJIM: With less than a fortnight to go for the opening of the 41st edition of the International Film Festival of India in the city, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat on Monday held a review meeting to take stock of the ongoing preparations for the mega film event.

The meeting discussed the prospects of serving soft liquor like beer at the film festival venues. It also discussed use of D B Bandodkar football ground at Campal for parking facilities during opening and closing ceremonies of the mega film event.

The Chief Minister discussed various film festival related issues like availability of 108 ambulance services, medical/first-aid facility at old Goa Medical College heritage precincts, fire service cover, use of auto rickshaws for transporting IFFI delegates from Kala Academy to Inox multiplex, display of props and banners along Mandovi river, use of sound system, parking facilities at the film festival venues and so on.

The forest department was also directed to undertake pruning of trees along the D B Bandodkar Road, on the Campal promenade.  The meeting held at the conference hall of the Entertainment Society of Goa was attended by the Chief Secretary, Mr Sanjay Srivastava, the CEO of the ESG, Mr Manoj Srivastava, secretaries to various government departments, the commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, Mr Elvis Gomes and some of the members of the organising committee for IFFI 2010.

Furthermore, it was decided that there is a need for submission of plans, for obtaining licences for food stalls at the IFFI venues and the liability of the licences will be on the owners of such stalls. Setting up of CCTV at the festival venues, providing facilities to the arriving dignitaries at the Dabolim airport, and holding of road-shows during the mega film event were some more works discussed at the meeting. (NT)