Locals protest, say permit given in ‘irregular manner’

Pune: After facing opposition at other proposed venues, the Sunburn Festival, an electronic music-dance festival, will be held at Oxford Golf Course, Lavale near Bavdhan in Pune from December 28 to 31 this year. The festival’s organisers claimed that they have almost all the required permissions to hold the event, which includes permissions by the gram panchayat. However, a Lavale-based protester claimed that the gram panchayat gave the permission allegedly in an irregular manner.  

Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said, “Last year also we had held the program after getting all the required permissions. This year, too, we will have all the permissions. Gram panchayat at Lavale has already given us the permission. District police has also given the go-ahead.

We have applied for permission from the excise department and the collector’s office, and we will be getting the written permissions within a week.”

He further said, “We have invited artistes from across the world. There is no question of us organising the festival without proper permissions.”

However, a few villagers at Lavale village are opposing the festival, claiming that their gram panchayat allegedly gave the permission without informing them. Kisan Bankar, a Lavale resident, who is leading the protest, told The Asian Age, “We have the support of more than 150 villagers and we will hold protest against the festival that promotes alcohol, smoking, drugs and obscenity.