Govt blacklists firm over SHIROCK fiasco
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 06 2022: Directorate of Tourism has blacklisted the firm - Gig Box Production Pvt Ltd, Thangapat Mapal, Wangkhei, Imphal East, Manipur, Pin code-795005 from any tourism related events and festivals in future.

In an order issued Friday, Tourism director W Ibohal Singh informed that the ShiRock 2022 competition was organised by the Entertainment Sub-Committee and the Committee's chairman, and as per an order dated May 21, Gig Box Production Pvt Ltd, Thangapat Mapal was entrusted to organise ShiRock 2022 .

In the event organised by Gig Box Production Pvt Ltd, the Prophets' a band from Mizoram was declared the winner of the competition and an amount of Rs 10 lakh was to be awarded to Prophets' for winning the competition, but a claim of non payment of prize money for the 2022 edition of ShiRock held as part of the Shirui Lily Festival 2022 by the Department has been doing the rounds on social media platforms, it added.

The order mentioned that the total budget for organising the 4th edition of the Shirui Lily Festival was Rs 4.5 crore out of which Rs 3.5 crore was released by the government in two instalments (40 per cent and 60 per cent respectively) and the corresponding amount was released to different sub-com-mitt ees, departments, firms, etc., on May 21 and July 18 respectively by Tourism Department.

The total amount allocated for the Entertainment Sub-Committee was Rs 1,55,55,555 and the same was released to the deputy commissioner, Ukhrul on the above-mentioned dates.

The payment was to be made by the event manager of ShiRock 2022 out of the funds released to them on instalment basis but the event manager has failed to prioritise payments and distribute the money uniformly amongst vendors/firms/bands engaged in ShiRock 2022, thereby, resulting in claims of unpaid dues by prize winners of Shirock 2022, it informed.

The order further conveyed that the negligence and failure to prioritise payments to prize winners of the competition by the event management company has tarnished the image of the Department as well as the Government of Manipur to a great extent.

As such, considering the irreparable loss to the image and prestige suffered by Tourism Department and the state of Manipur after due approval of the government, it blacklisted Gig Box Production Pvt Ltd, Thangapat Mapal, the order added.

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