the goan I network
PANAJI
The State Council of Ministers, through a circulation, granted its approval for the extension of the casinos in the River Mandovi by another six months as plans to shift them to a designated “entertainment zone” are yet to get moving.
The Council of Ministers resolved to grant an extension to the six offshore casino licensees to relocate their offshore casinos from River Mandovi for a further period of 6 months i.e. from 01/04/2018 to 30/09/2018.
The government had last year initially extended the licences of the casinos in the River Mandovi initially till September 30 and then till March 31, 2018, after a heated debate in the newly-formed council of ministers.
In July last year, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar ‘spoke his mind’ on the issue of casinos and instead of offering the policy, which he promised he would announce, on the floor of the assembly, Parrikar spoke of a ‘broad concept’ of the future of casinos in Goa.
“In three years time, the casinos in the river on vessels will cease to exist. There will be an amendment to the act where the vessel portion will be extinguished at a particular (designated) date. If the person wants, he can shift to the land at an entertainment zone identified for the purpose,” Parrikar had said in July last year.
“I will amend the law to not permit operating a casino on a vessel. It will be shifted to a special zone. That clause of allowing casinos and live gaming on board vessels will cease to exist from a particular date. The casino will have to shift to casino or gaming zone. KPMG will be asked to identify locations wher it can be shifted,” Parrikar had said.
The BJP and the Goa Forward were the two parties most vocal against casinos when they were in the opposition.
