Govt?s attitude raises ambiguity over Sunburn festival

Panaji : A cloud of uncertainty is hovering over the ?Sunburn music beach festival 2010? in Goa with the ?request-letter? seeking relevant permission is seemingly missing from the government custody.

Neither the Collectorate?s office nor the police department is confirming receipt of the application from the Sunburn organizers.

Sunburn labeled as Asia?s biggest music festival, will be hosted at North Goa?s Candolim beach from December 27 to 29.

Sources said that the organizers had applied for relevant permission about more than a week ago ,but the concerned authorities are passing the buck on each other.

The organizers have already declared their event. Top disc jockeys and several thousand participants are expected to attend the festival.

The fest was entangled in a controversy last year when a Bangalore youth Meha Bahuguna died of suspected ?drug overdose?.

While the festival organizers shirked its responsibilities saying that the girl might have consumed drugs from elsewhere. They denied that drugs were sold at the venue.

Sources said that after this incident the Government released a fresh Circular making it mandatory for the festival to get approval from the Home Ministry.

?Deputy Collector had issued a No-Objection Certification, last year. But after Meha?s death, Government released a circular that it is obligatory for the festival to get approval from the Home Ministry,? the source said.

North Goa Sub Divisional Magistrate Dashrat Redkar said that the festival organizers had applied for permission, which was forwarded to the police department for assessment.

?We are the issuing authority. Only after the police department gives the festival go-ahead, we can issue permission order,? he said.

The police authorities however declined of receiving any application from the Sunburn organizers. ?We have still not received the ?permission seeking application.? We will examine what are the remarks by other authorities to give our decision,? said the North Goa Superintendent of Police Arvind Gawas.