the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa cabinet led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday granted yet another 6-months extension to six offshore casino licencees to stay put in the Mandovi river.
With Wednesday's cabinet decision the six casino vessels, although shut due to the current lockdown, can stay in the waters of the Mandovi up to September 30, 2020.
The off-shore Casinos had been issued directives to relocate from the river in the capital city to an alternate site but were given a grace period to do so during the tenure of the late Manohar Parrikar in 2013. However the State govrrnment has been by default extending the grace period, since.
The six casino vessels granted extension in Wednesday's cabinet meet are: Horseshoe Casino, Pride of Goa, Casino Royale, Argosy IV , Royale Flotel and Lucky Seven.
The Home department which regulatea the Casinos and the Captain of Ports who has jurisdiction over navigational rivers had shortlisted four alternatives for the Casinos to shift from the Mandovi.
None of these four sites - mouth of Mandovi near Aguada jail, two in Zuari river east and west of the bridge and one in Chapora river - were found feasible by the casino industry.
The issue of removing casinos from thw Mandovi river has political overtones and was a major issue at the Panaji bye-election held after Parrikar's death.
In fact, Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate took to the streets to demand removal of the casinos which he had promised to do in 100 days during the campaign. Following he's crossing floors, however, the issue has got pushed to the backburner.
