the goan I network
PANAJI
In what appears to be a last ditch attempt to bring in revenue from tourists, the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) has decided to propose additional pandals for tourists at this year’s carnival to be held in Panaji on March 2.
In addition to the VIP and VVIP pandals that are set up every year on Miramar Beach road during the Carnival, this year, the CCP has proposed setting up around three additional pandals with 200 chairs each for tourists to enjoy the floats, said Panjim mayor Vitthal Chopdekar on Thursday.
However, choosing to enjoy the floats under the shade of the pandals will come at a cost, with chair prices likely to be at around Rs 500 per chair, said Chopdekar, although the final prices would be decided along with the Tourism Department.
“How the CCP intends on carrying out this plan is, each pandal will be sold to a five star hotel, which will then sell passes to the tourists, explained Chopdekar, adding that the hotels that the CCP was thinking of approaching were Hotel Mandovi, Vivanta by Taj, and Cidade de Goa tentatively.
Said Menino J Da Cruz, treasurer of the Carnival committee addressing the press at the town hall, “The hotel industry can use these pandals to improve tourism as well as generate revenue as tourism this season is not doing very well.”
In addition to the floats, the Carnival will also see four days of entertainment at the Samba Square in the city, with khel tiatr, musical shows, and other activities, informed Francisco Martins, the chief co-ordinator for Panaji’s carnival. The budget for the Carnival is Rs 26 lakhs, which will include prizes in different categories for the floats.
Meanwhile, 82-year-old Timoteo Fernandes, president of organising committee has promised that Ponjekars will be taken back in time with the “alvorada”, a brass band which will go around the city, waking up residents at 5 am, to remind them it’s Carnival. He said that the float parade would start at the Science Center in Miramar and end at Dona Paula, in a tentative plan drawn up by him.
