Panaji: The Covid pandemic situation has severely hit the finances of the State. The Chief Minister has admitted that the financial condition of the State is bad. This is not the time to host festivals and celebrations. I demand that the Government must re-consider its decision to host 51st edition of International Film Festival of India 2020 stated Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat.
The role of Government of Goa is now reduced to travel and hospitality agent for the International Film Festival of India. The Entertainment Society of Goa has lost all its powers in hosting of the mega film festival with regards to official programming sections. The festival puts huge financial burden on the State exchequer with hardly any returns and benefits for the local film fraternity. It is high time that the government release a White Paper on the benefits of IFFI to the State of Goa since 2004 demanded Digambar Kamat.
The State is passing through financial crises which is openly admitted by the Chief Minister himself. This is not the right time to host festivals and celebrations. The government needs to re-look at the actual benefits received by the State after partnering with the Centre for hosting the film festival. The number of foreign delegates registering for the festival exposes the fact that IFFI is not helping Goa to boost tourism.
The Government of Goa is incurring almost 20 to 25 Crores expenditure every year on the organization of the film festival. However, the sponsorship received is hardly in few lakhs in last 2 years. The information provided to me in the Assembly states that a negligible amount of Rs. 8.85 Lakhs was received as sponsorship in the year 2019.
The official delegate registration of Non- Goans for IFFI 2019 was 5944, while 2203 Goans had registered for the festival. Only 116 foreign delegates registered for the festival in 2019. Surprisingly the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) do not give any financial contribution to the State Government for hosting the mega film festival.
Digambar Kamat
Leader of Opposition
