the goan I network
PANAJI
Addressing a press conference, president of the Goa Suraksha Manch Anand Shirodkar said that Parrikar's stance on the issue is deliberately meant to deceive as evidenced by the decisions taken by the government.
"Parrikar keeps saying that the Congress brought casinos, indicating that he believes that casinos are bad, but at the same time, it was the BJP government in December 2016, that sought to change the definition of ‘offshore' in the Goa Public Gambling Act to mean areas within the rivers and not offshore," Shirodkar said.
The Goa Suraksha Manch has demanded the cancellation of all the licences of casinos given in the state of Goa -- both offshore and onshore-- and a withdrawal of the amendment to the Goa Public Gambling Act that permits gambling on casinos either offshore or in 5-star hotels where gambling but not live gaming allowed.
The comments come a day before the Chief Minister announces his ‘casino policy' as promised on the floor of the House on Monday.
Taking the issue further, Shirodkar has also questioned, how Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is also the Finance Minister who claims he is an expert in fiscal management cannot tide over a loss of Rs 262-crore earned from casinos if they are shut down.
"Parrikar said that the total earnings from casinos is Rs 262-crore, which is around 2% of the state's earnings. Is Parrikar trying to suggest that he cannot tide over a shortfall in 2% of the state's revenues?" Shirodkar asked. "Is there something else," he asked saying he would not elaborate as he does not have any evidence to back his claims.
The party also hit out at TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai who he said have been afflicted by
the disease that comes with power.
"The same persons who was targeting the government over casinos is today talking about moving the casinos on land," Shirodkar said.
"If one were to go only by the assurances made especially by the BJP but also by other parties like the Goa Forward and the Congress, one would think that casino wouldn't be an issue being discussed in 2017. Parrikar himself said he would remove all the casinos by 2015," Shirodkar taunted.
He said that the grounding of the casino represented bad days for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and these days are likely to continue into the near future. "Lucky Seven will be Unlucky for him," Shirodkar said.
Says Parrikar's comments on
beef against party's stand
PANAJI: The Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) accused Parrikar of playing vote bank politics for his comments that there will be no shortage of beef in Goa.
Responding to Parrikar's comments, on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly, GSM president Anand Shirodkar said that Parrikar was going against his own party's stand at the Centre on beef.
"It was not right for him as a BJP chief minister and the community his party represents and he has gone against them. He is doing it only for vote bank politics and he will see that his core vote base is slipping away from him," Shirodkar said.
He said Parrikar was making such comments purely for political reasons and that they would prove costly for him.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for the resignation of Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister in view of his comments even though Congress legislator Pratapsing Rane came in his support.
GSM too has called for the resignation of the Chief Minister on the twin issues of casinos as well as his recent comments on beef.
