MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday informed the Goa Legislative Assembly that onshore casinos owe the State government Rs 349 crore in dues accumulated over the past four to five years.
Sawant assured the House that these dues would be recovered within a year.
“We are in the process of recovering the amount. If they fail to pay the dues, we will seize the properties of the casinos. We will fast-track the process and recover the dues within a period of one year,” Sawant said.
The Chief Minister also noted that some casinos have already closed down, and others are embroiled in legal disputes.
He was responding to a query from Goa Forward Party (GFP) MLA Vijai Sardesai, who claimed that land-based casinos owe the government approximately Rs 566 crore.
Sardesai highlighted a specific case where a license was granted to one Sarika Gupta despite an outstanding payment of Rs 80 crore.
He further alleged the involvement of a bureaucrat at the Under Secretary level in facilitating the license.
Sawant assured Sardesai that he would investigate the matter and take necessary action if required.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao questioned the feasibility of recovering such a large sum within a year when it had been outstanding for the past five years.
“If the government was not able to recover such a large sum of money from the operators for the last five years, how will the CM manage to collect this amount within a year?” Alemao asked.
During the discussion, several MLAs, including those from the ruling benches, called for action against illegal gambling operations, such as slot machines and small casinos, which have proliferated across the state.
They noted that these gambling units often shut down during assembly sessions but resume operations immediately afterward.
Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo expressed concern about the impact of these illegal gambling units on young people.
“Small children rush to such gambling units with Rs 100 and Rs 200. This will cause a bad impact on the young minds and worry for the parents. We need to stop this once for all,” Lobo said.
Sawant urged MLAs to report such cases to him directly, promising to shut down illegal gambling operations immediately.
“For us, revenue is not important. We are concerned about the welfare of our children and youth. I will not allow such gambling units,” the CM assured the House.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa also participated in the discussion.
Sawant reiterated that there has been no proposal to start a casino in Mopa and emphasized the government's commitment to addressing the issue of outstanding dues and illegal gambling activities.
