As IFFI inches closer, ESG Chairman Damodar Naik quits

With only one and half month left for the upcoming edition of IFFI, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) Chairman Damodar Naik has resigned from his post citing political engagements.
ESG is the nodal agency which hosts the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), scheduled in November this year. Naik, who headed this state body tendered his resignation on October 3 and was relieved yesterday.
"I have to work in my Fatorda constituency. This is election year and I can't spend time in Panaji. There is lot of time required to host IFFI and even after the festival, you need to clear the bills," Naik told PTI.

The former BJP legislator was defeated in 2012 by Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai in Fatorda constituency, adjacent to Margao town.
BJP had then assigned him to work as Chairman of Margao-based Ravindra Bhavan since 2012 and then ESG for last two years.
Naik said he had requested Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to relieve him from the post in April this year.

His tenure as ESG Chairman was marked with the controversies with Goa Forward party accusing him of being involved in financial irregularities during hosting of IFFI.
The former legislator had rubbished the allegations, challenging the Opposition to hold an enquiry against him.

Reacting to his resignation, Goa Forward Party said, "ESG may be relieved of Damodar Naik but what about the crores that he relieved ESG of ?"
"The Goa Forward which exposed a clear case of corruption over a road decoration tender for the IFFI 2015 will pursue it to logical conclusion so that the corrupt person who has conveniently exited after swindling the state of crores and converting ESG into Entertainment Scam Society of Goa is not left scot free," party spokesman Durgadas Kamat said.