No alcohol at film fest venue, demands Goa women’s panel

PANAJI - The Goa Women’s Commission has warned the state government against sale of alcohol at the venue of the 40th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Goa State Women’s Commission (GSWC) chairperson Pramod Salgaonkar said the commission would be formally writing to the state government cautioning against any such move.

“During the last IFFI, they even had a bar counter in the press room at the film festival. We are against moves like this,” she told IANS.

At the 38th edition of the festival, a bar counter located within the press room at the Entertainment of Society of Goa, which hosted the IFFI, had caused much consternation to women’s groups, including the GSWC and the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ), which demanded an immediate relocation of the liquor outlet.

“It not only gives a bad impression about the place, but also sends a wrong signal to the thousands of people who attend the event,” Salgaokar said.

The GSCW has led the chorus of voices from other women’s organisations too against sale of alcohol at government-run establishments at popular events such as the IFFI, the Carnival parade etc.

Goa, a major tourism destination, is known to offer easy access to liquor with a liberal excise regime that ensures cheaper alcohol in comparison to neighbouring states like Karnataka and Maharashtra.