PANAJI, Dec 27(TOI): Every breath blown, every move made, every step taken during the three-day Sunburn Goa electronic music fest, will be watched by men in uniform. There will be one uniformed policeman at the venue for every 10 persons dancing to the tunes of the world's best names in electronic music. While granting approval for the Sunburn festival starting Monday, the state home department insisted that only 2,000 people at a time be allowed entry to the venue and 200 cops in uniform be posted within. Also people will not be able to smoke there as the venue has been declared a 'no -smoking zone'. Anyone wanting to light a cigarette would have to do so at a special smoking lounge at the venue which would be continuously monitored by the police.

"A police outpost should be set up near the stage for 200 uniformed policemen," the home department said. It further said, "A special smoking lounge be set up in a non-public identified area which will be continuously monitored by the police department. In all other areas "No-smoking zone" boards should be prominently installed." The permission granted on December 23 is signed by under secretary home, G P Dangui with directions to the DGP to ensure necessary security arrangements and that law and order is maintained.

The organizer's PR agents, Percept Ltd joint managing director Shailendra Singh, however, said that over three days 15,000 people are expected to participate at the festival. Of these 1,500 will be on the VIP lawn. Singh added that the organizers will try their best to stick to the law and conditions imposed by the state government. "Our unconditional endeavour is to ensure safety of the people," Singh said. Though he did not make a reference to uniformed policemen, he said plainclothes policeman along with their narcotic patrol officers and sniffer dogs will keep a check on drugs which are banned at the venue.

Earlier in a report to the government, police had advised the authorities to ensure that the organizers be granted permission for the festival only if the cops' conditions are met. Sources said police wanted to ensure there is no sale of drugs at the venue as the department was targeted last year after 23-year-old Meha Bahuguna of , who was last seen partying at the festival, allegedly died of a drug overdose after consuming angel dust, a hallucinogenic drug. Also in the wake of intelligence inputs on suspected terrorist activity in the West coast during the Christmas and New Year season, following which the police have been put on alert, the state authorities are not willing to take any chances.Panaji: Every breath blown, every move made, every step taken during the three-day Sunburn Goa electronic music fest, will be watched by men in uniform.

There will be one uniformed policeman at the venue for every 10 persons dancing to the tunes of the world's best names in electronic music. While granting approval for the Sunburn festival starting Monday, the state home department insisted that only 2,000 people at a time be allowed entry to the venue and 200 cops in uniform be posted within. Also people will not be able to smoke there as the venue has been declared a 'no -smoking zone'. Anyone wanting to light a cigarette would have to do so at a special smoking lounge at the venue which would be continuously monitored by the police. "A police outpost should be set up near the stage for 200 uniformed policemen," the home department said. It further said, "A special smoking lounge be set up in a non-public identified area which will be continuously monitored by the police department. In all other areas "No-smoking zone" boards should be prominently installed." The permission granted on December 23 is signed by under secretary home, G P Dangui with directions to the DGP to ensure necessary security arrangements and that law and order is maintained.

The organizer's PR agents, Percept Ltd joint managing director Shailendra Singh, however, said that over three days 15,000 people are expected to participate at the festival. Of these 1,500 will be on the VIP lawn. Singh added that the organizers will try their best to stick to the law and conditions imposed by the state government. "Our unconditional endeavour is to ensure safety of the people," Singh said. Though he did not make a reference to uniformed policemen, he said plainclothes policeman along with their narcotic patrol officers and sniffer dogs will keep a check on drugs which are banned at the venue.

Earlier in a report to the government, police had advised the authorities to ensure that the organizers be granted permission for the festival only if the cops' conditions are met. Sources said police wanted to ensure there is no sale of drugs at the venue as the department was targeted last year after 23-year-old Meha Bahuguna of , who was last seen partying at the festival, allegedly died of a drug overdose after consuming angel dust, a hallucinogenic drug. Also in the wake of intelligence inputs on suspected terrorist activity in the West coast during the Christmas and New Year season, following which the police have been put on alert, the state authorities are not willing to take any chances.