The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) on Thursday cancelled all permissions that were granted for film and television serial shootings in the state due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
The decision to cancel all previously given permissions for shooting came in the wake of the Goa government enforcing stricter measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Friday, the government announced a 15-day curfew in the state starting from May 9.
According to a PTI report, ESG’s Vice Chairman Subhash Faldesai said that several production companies had shifted their shooting to Goa from Mumbai and Chennai due to the restrictions and surge in COVID-19 cases in their respective states. “We will not allow any shooting of films or television serials in public or private properties,” he said. The ESG is the state government’s nodal agency which is empowered to grant permission for commercial shootings in the state.
The Goa government has also imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which bans assembly of five or more people at one place, due to which shootings cannot be permitted, Faldesai said.
He added that those currently shooting in Goa have been asked to wrap up and commercial shootings will not be allowed until the number of Covid-19 cases in the state reduces.
On Wednesday, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijay Sardesai tweeted that he had visited the set of singing reality show Sur Nava Dhyas Nava and asked for the shooting to be stalled. He alleged that the crew members were not following Covid-19 protocols and were not practicing social distancing. The show was being shot at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon.
WHO GAINS WHEN FATORDA LOSES? https://t.co/yYXxEXP3Ga Ravindra Bhavan permission for Film Shootings with people not following social distancing & other CovidSOPs needs to be probed! How District Adminstration & Police, enforcing restriction guidelines, ignored these violations?
— Vijai Sardesai (@VijaiSardesai) May 5, 2021
Several other TV serials namely Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha, Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, Yeh Hai Chahatein, Shaurya Aur Anokhi Ki Kahani, Qurbaan Hua, and some Marathi TV shows had recently shifted to Goa to continue their shoots.
Goa, on Thursday, reported its highest daily tally of 3,869 COVID-19 cases and 58 deaths.
