SPOTLIGHT | Policy confusion? MLAs question govt's ambiguous stand on wedding music

PANAJI
Political opposition in South Goa has closed ranks to push back against what they term the arbitrary enforcement of the 10 pm music cutoff at weddings, arguing that common citizens are bearing the brunt of policy confusion within the government.
After raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly and securing an assurance from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that wedding celebrations would not be affected, opposition MLAs have now been forced to write to the Chief Minister again following contradictory statements from enforcement authorities.
Opposition leaders argue that weddings and social functions, deeply rooted in Goan tradition, are being unfairly disrupted due to the rigid interpretation of noise rules. They point out that the matter was debated in the House, where the Chief Minister had assured members that wedding celebrations would not be impacted and that music could be allowed beyond 10 pm, subject to norms. However, the GSPCB chairperson Levinson Martin’s recent statement that the law is “equal for all” and that music must stop by 10 pm has reignited uncertainty, compelling MLAs to seek written clarification to prevent further distress to the public.
Tradition versus rigid enforcement
Leaders from the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have pointed out that weddings form an integral part of Goan social and cultural life, where music plays a central role.
GFP president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has demanded that the Chief Minister clarify the government’s stand on wedding music timings. “It was somewhere in August that I had raised the issue in the House and even during the just-held assembly session. CM had given categorical assurance that wedding celebrations would not be affected by the 10 pm cutoff and that music could be permitted till midnight. But we have to go as per what the GSPCB chairman is saying as they are the enforcing agency,” he said.
Sardesai has urged the Chief Minister to issue clear directions to the GSPCB and the Home Department to operationalise the government’s commitment and ensure that citizens are not penalised or harassed due to contradictory interpretations of the rules. “Our own people are suffering and we cannot let that happen. We are asking for relaxation for our people,” he said.
Demand for uniform guidelines
Adding to the pressure, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas sought an extension of permissible music timings for wedding functions across Goa. Viegas highlighted the practical difficulties faced by families, local bodies and event organisers due to the current restrictions and appealed for uniform guidelines to avoid confusion at the ground level. “A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It needs to be looked at as a special case. While the government has no control over nightclub late-night parties and loud music, the common man is the only one suffering due to this law,” he said.
Opposition MLAs said they had repeatedly raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly and had secured assurances from the Chief Minister that weddings would not be affected.