Panaji, Sep 14 (TOI): Making its stand clear, the Goa police has said it will not grant permission to the electronic dance music (EDM) festivals, Sunburn and Supersonic, if their organizers fail to clear arrears towards the deployment of traffic police and security arrangements.

Speaking to TOI, North Goa superintendent of police (SP) Umesh Gaonkar said the past year saw the police department come under the scanner of auditors for permitting the organizers to conduct the two EDM festivals despite the non-payment of outstanding bills for previous editions of the festivals.

"We have made it amply clear this time around that the outstanding amounts have to be paid, before permission is given by the police," Gaonkar said.

As is the trend, both the EDM festivals are scheduled to be held in the last week of December this year. This is despite the police's repeated recommendation to the state government that the two events should not be permitted to be held on similar dates and at venues located close to each other. Sunburn will be held in Vagator and Supersonic, in Candolim.

A source said the organizers of the two festivals have disputed the bills raised by the police department. They have allegedly claimed that the charges applied as 'protection charges' are unjust.

In response, Gaonkar explained that the police department levies charges as notified by the government. "Bills are raised in accordance with charges fixed and notified by the government, and we can't change them," he said, adding that if the organizers weren't satisfied, they could approach the government itself.

In its last meeting, the state-level permission committee (SLPC) of the government had discussed the outstanding payments to be made by the organizers of Sunburn and Supersonic.

The committee had unanimously arrived at the conclusion that if the organizers fail to clear the police department's outstanding dues, the amount should be adjusted against the security deposit that was submitted by both parties during the 2014 edition of the festivals. The balance amount, if any, should be refunded to them, the SLPC outlined.

The committee had also resolved that in view of the hassles faced by the police department and other administrative authorities due to simultaneous organization of the two major events, permissions should not be issued for similar dates, and that the organizers be asked to shift their venues.