the goan I network
MARGAO
Finally toeing an independent line in deciding on the Margao carnival parade route, the South Goa district administration on Saturday has granted permission to hold the parade scheduled on Sunday on the Ravindra Bhavan route.
With the District Collector South Ajit Roy clearing the air of uncertainty on the float parade route, the traffic police later dispatched a communique saying the Carnival parade will kick start exactly a 3 pm on Sunday.
Hectic preparations were underway on the Ravinvdra Bhavan route as the Margao Municipal Council contractor remained busy in erecting a stage and pandal near the stadium.
The district administration finally settled on the Ravindra Bhavan route after a series of meetings in the District Collectorate on Saturday morning with district police chief Arvind Gawas, Additional Collector Surendra Furtado, DySP Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar, DySP Margo Serafino Dias, Margao PI Sachin Narvekar and Fatorda PI Kapil Nayak, Margao Municipal Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar and others.
It was only at around 1 pm that the District Collector Ajit Roy told the media that the decision has been taken by the administration to hold the carnival parade on the Ravindra Bhavan route for the sake of administrative convenience and public safety.
“We understand Carnival is a very important festival for the city. The festival has a strong cultural legacy. Respecting all these things, we have prioritized the administrative efficiency and public safety and decided to hold the parade at Fatorda,” he added.
When asked whether the district administration has arrived at the decision irrespective of the resolution taken by the Margao Municipal Council, the District Collector shot back saying, “We have definitely taken the MMC into confidence. But at the same time, our decision is based on the administrative convenience and public safety point of view”.
“It was a unanimous decision to hold the float parade in Fatorda. Preparations have begun in the right earnest, we have 24 hours time to flag off the parade on Sunday,” he said, adding “all are working to execute the work at hand”.
To a question whether his office has received any complaint from Margao Municipal Council councillors on the fabrication of the MMC resolution on the Carnival parade route, he replied in the negative.
To another question, the District Collector said the floats after participating in Margao will have to take the Eastern bypass road to proceed to Quepem.
