Padma Shri Libya Lobo-Sardesai along with other anti-casino campaigners during the sit-in at municipal hall in Panaji on Thursday.
PANAJI
Protests and tension was all over at the 'Town Hall' of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Thursday where a group of citizens styling themselves as 'Ponjekars against Casinos' staged a sit-in, alleging that Mayor, Rohit Monserrate, had informed them of a scheduled meeting of the Corporation to discuss the introduction of a new casino vessel in the Mandovi river.
The sit-in was staged inside the municipal town hall where CCP Commissioner Clen Madeira interacted with the group and informed that there was no meeting of the Corporation scheduled for the day.
The group had earlier this week met Monserrate when he invited them to a meeting of the Corporation scheduled for 11 am on Thursday.
Monserrate however, did not turn up and no such meeting was scheduled angering the protesters, which included several senior citizens and women.
Police intervened and physically ejected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State president Valmiki Naik and another activist who was part of the group from the hall.
The protest lasted nearly two hours before being suspended.
Padma Shri awardee and centurion, Libya Lobo-Sardesai, women's activist Sabina Martins, and former CCP corporator Patricia Pinto were among several citizens opposing the casino and protesting the Mayor's non-appearance.
Libya declared her opposition to the massive casino in the Mandovi, saying locals do not want the pollution and problems casinos bring. She insisted that the fight to keep casinos out of the Mandovi will continue as residents have had the river as a source of good fish, a staple in every Goan's diet.
Naik accused Monserrate of misleading residents. He said the mayor had promised a meeting on February 12 to discuss the casino issue, but no such meeting was held.
“If there was no meeting, why were we given false assurances? Is there pressure on the mayor or the police? We need answers,” Naik said.
The new casino ship is 112 meters long and 27 meters high, nearly the size of a nine storey building. Its capacity is five times larger than the older vessel. Two existing casinos were shifted to make way for it. Locals fear the expansion of casino operations will worsen the traffic problems, pollution, and other social problems in the city.
Naik said a letter has been sent to the mayor demanding that the issue be debated by the CCP councillors at a full meeting and the protesters vowed to continue their campaign.
Meanwhile, later in the afternoon, AAP leaders visited Panaji police station and protested what they called the "selective targeting" of their State president, Valmiki Naik.
Naik meanwhile said he does not blame the police personnel for the action taken against him but condemned the political class hiding behind the police force.
"It demonstrates the BJP government's pressure tactics. There is clear pressure from those who benefit financially from the casino operations, from Goa to Delhi," Naik said.
