IFFI 2004: Tainted Film Festival

There has been a controversy over every International Film Festival of India (IFFI) since Goa was chosen as the venue for the International Film Festival of India. During the very first IFFI conducted in 2004 when Manohar Parrikar was chief minister, there were controversies over the manner in which contracts were awarded for the building of the multiplex, which was controversially handed over to INOX to manage. There were questions asked about the huge amounts of expenditure of Rs.24 crores spent on the renovation of Kala Academy and the so called beautification works which were undertaken to coincide with IFFI. Never mind that most of the beatification works were found to be shoddy and the Bandodkar Football stadium and the Panaji Municipal garden were destroyed and was sacrificed to Manohar Parrikar's megalomania. We shall not say more about the inauspicious beginning of Goa as the permanent destination for IFFI because not only have the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports damned the Manohar Parrikar administration, but a CBI enquiry is also under progress for misuse and abuse of power relating to the inaugural issue of IFFI-Goa.