Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: Mornugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Leo Rodrigues, who has been unanimously elected as Vasco Carnival Committee Chairman, said the Carnival floats in Vasco to be held on February 20 would be free from plastic and pollution.
“This year, the floats will be held on February 20, but the events will be held for four days, starting from February 18 to 22. We will have various programmes, including a Konkani musical show on the last day. We are planning to have a plastic-free Carnival this year, and we will not use any firecrackers so that the Vasco Carnival can also be pollution free,” he said.
Rodrigues said most of the Carnival programmes will be Goan programmes, including Khel, Tiatr and Jagor etc., which will give preference to Goans.
The MMC chairperson said the Vasco Carnival Committee usually gets funding of Rs 20 lakh from the Government for the Carnival.
“However, the expenses go beyond this amount, and this time, the committee has decided to request the Government to increase the funds to Rs 30 lakh. We have the support of all three MLAs, Mauvin Godinho, Krishna Salkar and Sankalp Amonkar, and we will also approach them for support and to place our request with the Government,” said Rodrigues.
Vasco Carnival Committee Vice Chairperson Fiola Rego said the committee wanted to give a chance to Goans during the Vasco Carnival.
“We have not yet planned the programmes for the Carnival, and we will have our next meeting to decide on all these programmes. We will not have any Bollywood-related programmes, and the reason to avoid Bollywood events is that their budget is high, and it is not feasible in the funding that we get from the Government. We are not against Bollywood, but we want to promote Goans in a Goan festival,” said Rego.
The Vasco Carnival Committee comprises Leo Rodrigues (Chairperson), Fiola Rego, Lavina D’Souza, Angelo Nunes and Morgan Coutinho (Vice-Chairpersons), Douglas Barretto (General Secretary), Royston Rodrigues (Asst General Secretary), Ralph Trindade (Treasurer), Loretta Barretto (Asst Treasurer), Peter Correia, Fransisco D’Souza, Cosme Mendes, Libby Mendonca and Saluzinho Barretto (Organising Secretaries), Arnaldo Rego, Jonathan Fernandes, Fatima Fernandes, Suyog Fernandes, Filomena Cardozo, Kelly Furtado, Clinton Fernandes, Cajviro D’Souza, August D’Souza, Rui Mendonca, Bernardinho Velho, Angelo Sequeira and Seby DSouza (executive members) and Pacelli Braganza, Andrew Pereira, Oswin Sequeira, Rony Colaco, Joaquim Carvalho, Ronald Colaco, Clerenco Furtado, Andrew Pereira, Kennedy Sequeira, Keegan D’Souza and Andre Fernandes (members).