Goa revokes permission to hold three-day music festival
By IANSThursday, February 4, 2010
PANAJI - The state administration has withdrawn the permission given to a three-day Chakra view music festival in the ecologically sensitive forests near Agonda beach, 80 km from here, citing possibility of narcotics trade at the party site.
The permission which was given for the three-day trance music festival on the basis of a police no objection report was revoked Thursday morning, Deputy Collector (law and order) Dipak Dessai told IANS.
“It will be difficult for the Goa police to stop such use of drugs and narcotics and other abuse-related substances as there will be thousands of people including foreigners attending the festival,” Dessai said.
The three-day music festival, which authorities now suspect is one of the drug-laced rave parties which Goa has become synonymous with, is scheduled to begin 6 a.m. Friday (Feb 5) and wind up at 12 a.m. Sunday (Feb 7).
In December last year, Meha Bahuguna, a young girl from Bangalore died due to suspected drug overdose at the three-day Sunburn music festival, which was organized at Candolim beach along similar lines. The revocation of the permission comes within 24 hours of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat asking the South Goa district collector to physically verify the music-festival site and probe who had given the relevant permission.
The state police has already said that any such party, where drugs were suspected to be used, would be raided by the anti-narcotics cell and the district police, especially in light of the Meha Bahuguna episode.
“The anti-narcotics cell and the district police have been instructed to keep a sharp eye for drugs or psychotropic substances sold near the festival venue,” Deputy Inspector General Ravindra Singh Yadav said.
The Chakra view music festival, which has announced a line up of a host of international DJs and musicians was to be held near the Butterfly beach, in Agonda, which is known for exotic butterflies and is a biodiversity hotspot.
