the goan I network
PANAJI
Congress legislators Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Luizinho Faleiro have pleaded with the government to bring to an end the casino menace.
Reginaldo pointed out that the government had told the court on multiple occasions that Golden Globe Hotels was eligible for a licence. The government also stated it would favourably consider their
application for a licence, he added.
Speaking during the discussion on the demands for grants to the Home Department, Reginaldo pointed out to what he called was "match fixing" by the Advocate General who told the court that the government would give the licence.
"The AG is an officer of the government. He has told that court that it is only because of the code of conduct that the government is giving the licence. I'm with you we will stop the casinos. This menace has to go," Reginaldo said.
"You cannot blame the Congress and escape from the reality. Do you ever conduct raids there? There is a huge amount of black money there," Reginaldo said.
On the issue of Parrikar calling the sixth casino just a boat, Reginaldo alleged that there are already casino tables there. "Don't say that it is not a casino," he said.
Former CM Luizinho Faleiro said Goa was becoming the vice capital of India. "He (Parrikar) has been shouting from the rooftop that he has inherited the casino issue and doesn't know how to come out of it because people have invested money. If we are going to protect Goa, Goans and Goenkarponn, the scourge of gambling, drugs which is usually followed by prostitution, has to go," Faleiro said.
"I appeal to the conscience of the members of the house. Are casinos necessary? Goa is becoming sin city of India, the vice capital," Faleiro said, adding that the ray of hope was that the BJP as well as the Congress have clearly said in their manifestos they want to get rid of casinos.
"Just because Congress has brought them doesn't mean you continue with them. I'm sure better sense will prevail and the casinos will be taken out of the river in a phased manner. We all have made mistakes," Faleiro said.
He said that despite some "match fixing" done by the AG, even the nature gods do not want the sixth casino in the River Mandovi and it is amply seen after the grounding of the sixth casino n bad weather.
Several other legislators including San André's Francisco Silveira questioned
Parrikar for his mashal yatra in Panaji against casinos seeking to remind the chief minister of his past stand on casinos.
