EDM organisers should give undertaking on dates: NCP

Goa CM Parsekar last week announced that the EDM fests will not be permitted to be held during the period between December 15 and January 15

With Goa government disallowing electronic dance music (EDM) festival between December 15 and January 15 from next year, opposition NCP today said it should take an undertaking from the organisers it this regard.

"State government should have taken undertaking from the EDM organisers that they won't hold the event between December 15 and January 15 period, next time in Goa," NCP Goa spokesperson Trojano D'Mello told a press conference here.

"Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar making statement that he will not allow the festivals during that period does not serve the purpose," D'Mello said.

Parsekar last week had announced that the EDM fests will not be permitted to be held during the period between December 15 and January 15. The EDM fests cause heavy traffic congestion and since it is the peak tourist period, authorities fear it will cause inconvenience to visitors.

Goa hosts the popular music festivals, Sunburn Goa and Vh1 Supersonic between December 27-30 annually.

"It is for last three years that the government has been mentioning that the EDMs won't be allowed in the state unless issues like rampant use of narcotics for these events are resolved. There are notings in the file but nothing happens actually," D'Mello said.

NCP also questioned how the EDMs were allowed to be held "without collecting the taxes" due to be paid by the organisers to the government.

"Will this leniency be shown to common man if he was owing money to the state?," he questioned.