Wiz-craft received Rs 4.21 cr for IFFI managenent: CM

Panaji, Mar 20 (UNI) Wiz-Craft, which bagged the contract for event management of the prestigious International Film Festival of India-2005 in Goa, was paid Rs 4.21 crore for its services.

Informing this in response to a starred question by Francis D'Souza (BJP) in the State Legislative Assembly today, Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane said this included a payment of Rs 21.18 lakh as the total management fee.

He assured the House that he would place on the table all details regarding the expenditure of Rs 96.98 lakh shown as miscellaneous expenses and Rs 51.74 lakh as extra expenses claimed by the company.

The Opposition, including former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, had demanded the details.

Replying to Sadanand Shet (BJP) to a related question, the Chief Minister stated that the 2005 event (held under his regime) got a committment to the tune of Rs 2.02 crore from a dozen sponsors who were yet to release a payment of Rs 1.61 crore.

On the other hand, the 2004 IFFI event, hosted by Goa for the first time during the Manohar Parrikar regime, had drawn a mere Rs 30.30 lakh from 14 sponsors.

These amounts collected by respective event management agencies were being adjusted against final payments due to them. The process had already been initiated.

Meanwhile, the government has so far incurred over Rs 18.30 crore for construction of the multiplex at the Old GMC complex which was the main venue for screening the competition films for the IFFI, Mr Rane said.

There was still Rs 4.26 crore payment liability to various agencies including Inox Leisures Limited, which maintains and runs the multi-plex. The expenditure would be met through budgetary provision.

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