Daijiworld Media Network - Vagator (SHP)
Vagator, Dec 30: Amid the row created by opposition over drugs at Sunburn music festival, the state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Monday said the event was a success as it contributed Rs 250 crore to the state coffers.
Ajgaonkar also assured of a detailed investigation into the three deaths at Sunburn which took place on Friday and culminated on Sunday.
On Friday, two people from Andhra Pradesh had died in hospital after feeling uneasy while standing at the gates of the Sunburn venue at Vagator beach in North Goa.
On Sunday night, a visitor from Bengaluru complained of "extreme uneasiness" at the festival venue, dying minutes after being admitted in a hospital in Mapusa.
While police claimed they are awaiting detailed post mortem reports, opposition Congress claimed "drug overdose" could not be ruled out in the deaths and hit out at Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for not being able to control the narcotics menace in the coastal state.
Discarding statements from the opposition, the state tourism minister said, "No drugs were sold at the Sunburn festival venue, we made sure everyone who entered the venue was thoroughly checked."
"People had come to enjoy the music (at the festival). The response was overwhelming and during the three days, a turnover of Rs 250 crore was recorded solely due to the Sunburn festival. All hotels in the vicinity were full," he added.
The minister also claimed the BJP-led government in the state had cracked down on narcotics, and Rs 4 crore worth of drugs were seized this year from across the state.