from daijiworld's special correspondent (MB)

Panaji, May 9: Goa government on Tuesday said the state is ready to take up the entire management of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) from next year if Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting agrees to it.
 
"We are keen on holding the festival on our own and we have started gaining expertise for it. But final decision depends on I and B ministry," state chief secretary J P Singh told reporters during an informal chat here at Kala Academy, an IFFI venue.
 
"We are keen to take over but the ministry feels that they (current organiser Directorate of Film Festival) should continue till we get expertise and experience," Singh said.
 
The tourist state has been hosting IFFI since 2004 with Entertainment Society of Goa as a nodal agency for it.
The state government during IFFI 2006 had announced that it will take over entire management of the festival by 2008.
"We need more theatres to hold it in a better way. We have identified three theatres in addition to existing infrastructure," the chief secretary said.