Parrikar Govt cancels Goan Carnival
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

PANAJI, FEB 24: The three-day Carnival, which has been a regular feature for Goa for the last two decades, was not held this year, leaving the capital city of Panaji totally uneventful.

Apparently, the tragic Gujarat earthquake has provided the Manohar Parrikar Government sound reasons for cancelling the Catholic fete. The Carnival had always boosted tourism in the state, and with its abrogation the tourist trade is bound to be adversely affected. However, not to discourage tourists, several five and three-star hotels have managed to organise their own mini-Carnivals in their precincts.

With the abrogation of the Carnival, the Travel and Tourism Organisation also cancelled its own programmes for fear of lack of response from sponsors. The Margao rally, which was to take place tomorrow, has also been cancelled at the last minute because of differences of opinion with a local Minister.

``How can you expect the smooth conduct of the rally when the Government authorities, at the behest of a minister, has thrown a spanner in the programme,'' said Joe Dias, Chairman of Margao Carnival Committee. People from several quarters pointed out that had the Carnival been held, it would have enabled adequate generation of funds to help the Gujarat quake victims.

Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.