the goan I network
PANAJI
A ‘casino policy’ presented in the Goa legislative assembly exactly a year ago by then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar is gathering dust and the government has not adhered to even a single of its seven points, including the pledge to appoint a ‘Gaming Commissioner’ by December end last year.
The policy, primarily aimed at restricting casino operations in designated geographical zones and also progressively shift the off-shore casinos operating in the Mandovi river, was presented to the House on the penultimate day of the monsoon session in July last year by Parrikar.
“A Gaming Commissioner shall be appointed by end of December, 2018,” the policy states at point number five, but more than six months beyond the deadline there is no sign that the State administration has initiated the process to establish the authority which is a crucial component of casino operations the world over.
Another salient feature of the ‘policy’ Parrikar had unveiled in July last year was the pledge to identify and notify “designated zones” where the currently operating offshore casinos can be shifted to. It also said renewal of casino licences would be linked to their willingness to shift to the designated zones so notified.
“Upon their willingness to shift they will be granted a maximum of four years to shift their operations,” the policy stated.
But the ‘policy’ according to his successor, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, is still work-in-progress and will take “some time to be finalised”.
While rejecting his own BJP’s petition earlier in June demanding shutting down of casinos, Sawant had ruled out shutting them down and instead suggested they would eventually be shifted to ‘designated zones’ but will take time.
Recently, newly elected Panaji MLA, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate too had raised the issue with Sawant, arguing that operations of four off-shore casinos was congesting the capital and adversely affecting its character.
Monserrate, who won the bye-election necessitated by Parrikar’s death, had made removal of casinos from Panjim a major poll plank and promised to get rid of them within 100 days of winning.
Fix deadline to get rid of casinos: GSM
PANAJI: The Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) on Wednesday held a loud rally in the capital city with around 100 members participating in a protest against the BJP-led government for not taking a firm stand against the off-shore casinos.
The right wing political party marched around the capital city for around two hours, starting from the Panjim church, and winding up at Azad Maidan.
GSM president Subhash Velingkar told reporters that the party had had enough of the BJP’s empty promises to get rid of the casinos. “They’ve been promising to do something about the casinos since 2012, but so far nothing has happened,” said Velingkar.
“Goa’s name is getting spoilt because of the casinos and the gambling,” he said.
“Moreover, the River Mandovi is getting polluted because of the casinos, and our youth are losing direction. With all these factors in mind, we demand that the government give a deadline by which they intend to get rid of the casinos,” said the GSM president.
“And when they make known the deadline, they also need to tell us where they intend to shift the casinos,” he said.
