Committee to organise annual Carnival in Goa to promote tourism

Panaji, Feb 13 (UNI) Amid claims and counter claims, the Goa government today constituted a state-level committee with Deputy Chief Minister in charge of tourism Dr Wilfred de Souza as its chairman to organise the annual Carnival in the state to promote tourism.

The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and municipalities were grinding axes for holding the annual fete with the latter charging the former with politicising the issue as it involved NCP representative-cum-chairperson of the Corporation besides Deputy Chief Minister.

Talking to mediapersons here, Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane said the committee will have five vice-presidents which included arts and culture minister Digambar Kamat, chairperson of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation Fatima De Sa besides major of the Panaji city corporation and chairmen of Margao, Vasco and Mapusa municipalities.

The tourism department would fund the main float parade beginning in the capital on February 17 followed by Margao, Vasco and Mapusa towns in subsequent days.

All other related festival events would be funded by the arts and culture department.

''It is a peoples' festival and let the tourism department hold it,'' Mr Rane said in presence of Dr Wilfred De Souza and Mr Kamat.

Several favoured holding the festival under the aegis of the apolitical traditional committees as the event draws huge money besides sponsorship and awards for the best floats.

UNI