Cong seeks white paper on IFFI benefits to Goa in last 15 yrs

The Congress has demanded a white paper on benefits received by Goa, specially the local film industry, by hosting the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the state since 2004.

It said the BJP-led Goa government should review its role in organising the mega event, which, according to the opposition party, has "not brought any benefits to the state in last 15 years" even as there have been huge expenses on creating infrastructure for the festival.

The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG-the nodal agency set up by government to host IFFI) has "absolutely no role" in decision-making during organisation of the festival, despite the state spending almost Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore every year on the mega event, Goa Congress spokesperson Swati Kerkar claimed on Wednesday.

"We demand that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the chairman of ESG, immediately release a white paper on the overall benefits received by Goa, and more particularly the Goan film fraternity, from IFFI in last 15 years," she said.

On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition in Goa Assembly Digambar Kamat questioned the absence of Konkani films in the Indian Panorama section of this year's edition of IFFI, to be held in the state from November 20 to 28.

He demanded that Sawant intervene and ensure that Goan films are screened in the official section of the 50th edition of IFFI.

Kamat said when he was the state's chief minister and chairman of the ESG, films by Goan film-makers were screened in the official section of IFFI.

The festival is being hosted in Goa since 2004, when Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister.

In 2014, the coastal state was declared as the permanent venue for hosting IFFI.