Carnival floats’ groups irked over delay in prize money

Quepem: Five months after the tourism department-organised Carnival floats parades were held, a controversy has broken out over the prize money with some winners crying foul over short payment.
Councillor and former chairperson of Quepem municipal council, Raul Pereira’s group has won five first prizes and one second at the tourism department’s all Goa float competitions organised in February.However, he is yet to receive the entire prize money.
“I received only three prizes amounting to Rs 2.5 lakh in June. The government is yet to pay me Rs 2.25 lakh of another three prizes,” Pereira said.
He demanded immediate resignation of tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar for not clearing the prize money even after four months and for failing to control his department.
Another regular participant at the annual competition, popularly known as Alexin Curtorim, who bagged second place at four events and third at two places, is also yet to receive his prize money.
He demanded for an inquiry into the matter of the delayed payment.
“The government cannot give us any excuse since the competition was held one month before the Covid-19 pandemic,” Curtorim said.
Pereira said that it is for the first time in the history of the competition that the prizes were not given within eight days.
Both Pereira and Curtorim said that they need nearly Rs 6 lakh to prepare each float.
For the last 19 years, Pereira has been organising floats depicting various themes such as Nizachim Goenkaram, Gonvlli, Kumbar, Bonderam, Telacho Gano, O Spatero, Goenchi Feni, Goenchim Festam and Songitkar, which have dominated the float competition organised by both the government and private institutions, and has won many first and second prizes.