'No Sunburn fest next year unless organisers clear dues'

Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar announced Wednesday that Electronic Dance Music Sunburn Festival will not be allowed to be held in the state in future unless the organisers clear their pending dues.

Responding to a petition filed by Trojano D’Mello, a local activist, the Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday had asked the state government to decide on festival organisers’ plea against the dues demanded by the state.

“We will not allow Sunburn until the dues are recovered,” Ajgaonkar told reporters Wednesday.

The court had directed the state appellate authority to decide, in six months, festival organiser Percept Live’s challenge to the fees demanded by the government, and said the government should set a deadline for clearing dues.