PANAJI: Taking note of the efforts made by some of the officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to have total control over the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the Chief Minister,

Mr Digambar Kamat on Wednesday decided to take a delegation to New Delhi to put up the state’s grievances before the I&B Minister, Ms Ambika Soni on the same. The decision came at the first meeting of the re-constituted governing body of the ESG.

Efforts have been made by some of the officials from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to restrict the role of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) to a funding agency cum logistical associate for the mega film festival.

Earlier, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times,’ the Chief Minister said that the ESG had approved a draft of the Memorandum of Understanding for IFFI 2010 and had forwarded it to the directorate of film festivals, which conducts the mega film festival in co-ordination with the ESG. "However, the Goan delegation led by the Chief Secretary, Mr S K Srivastava was informed during a meeting chaired by the I&B secretary, Mr Raghu Menon on July 28 in New Delhi that a number of changes have been made in the draft of the MoU," he stated pointing out, "Today, the ESG governing body members decided that these changes were not in favour of the state government and further decided to inform the I&B Ministry about the same."

The Chief Minister also told this daily that he would ensure continuation of the ‘Goa as a celluloid destination’ film section during IFFI 2010, as well as see to it that there are enough number of films in the ‘Indian Premiere’ film section. Incidentally, the July 28 meeting of the I&B Ministry had decided to cancel the former film section, while allowed only one film in the later.

Interestingly, a number of ESG members including some of the members of the previous governing body had tried to bring to the notice of the general body, the intentions of the Centre to take over total control of the mega film festival, and subsequently move the festival out of Goa. The Goan film-makers had also maintained that a highly placed official in the ESG and another IAS officer were keen on transferring most of the powers linked to the IFFI to Centre.

Incidentally, the demand-filled MoU as prepared by the officials of the I&B Ministry had certain objectionable clauses, which included increase in the provision of hotel rooms from 1,000 to 1,500 room nights, appointment of an event management agency for handling IFFI 2010 and funding the National Film Development Corporation for holding the Film Bazaar during the mega film festival.

A senior politician, Speaker of the state assembly and permanent invitee on the governing body of the ESG, Mr Pratapsingh Rane during the first meeting of the re-constituted governing body brought up the subject of retention money amounting to crores of rupees being paid to festival hotels, down the years. It may be recalled that the issue had been brought to public notice in the assembly by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and also raised by some of the outgoing members of the governing body.

A member of the re-constituted governing body maintained that the Centre is trying to invade the territories such as the Red Carpet event handled by the ESG during the mega film festival. This member also said that a IFFI organising committee of the ESG had successfully organised the IFFI 2009 without the assistance of any professional event management agency, and now, if an EMA is roped in as demanded by the I&B Ministry for IFFI 2010, another Rs 3 crore would have to be made available for the same from the state government coffers.

Wednesday’s ESG governing body meeting also decided to entrust all the powers as regards re-constituting the IFFI 2009 organising committee to the Chief Minister. The IFFI 2009 organising committee consisted of the members selected from the governing as well as general body of the ESG. Speaking to this daily, the Chief Minister also informed that the list of films shortlisted by the Jabbar Patel Committee under the state Film Finance Scheme has been approved by the re-constituted governing body on Wednesday.