Naik warns of agitation, says fishing livelihoods at risk; no application received by p’yat yet
PORVORIM
Saligao MLA Kedar Naik on Saturday warned of an agitation by villagers of Reis Magos if attempts are made to anchor an offshore casino vessel on the Reis Magos side of the Mandovi River.
When contacted, Naik told The Goan that he would never allow the anchoring of any casino vessel on the Reis Magos side of the river. “I have already written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Captain of Ports informing them that villagers are strongly opposed to any casino vessel on the Reis Magos side of the river,” said Naik. “If any attempt is made by a casino operator to forcibly anchor the vessel, villagers of Reis Magos have warned that they will stage an agitation and, if required, will block the traffic in protest.”
“Secondly, the livelihood of the fishing community depends on the seashell extractions, especially Tisreo (clams), which are abundantly available at the Reis Magos riverbed. If the casino vessel is anchored at Reis Magos, the livelihood of the fishing community will be affected very badly.”
When contacted, Reis Magos Sarpanch Sushmita Pednekar said the panchayat has, so far, not received any application from a casino operator requesting permission to anchor a casino vessel at Reis Magos.
“Hence, the question of giving permission to a casino does not arise at all. When operations of casino vessels had stopped completely during the Covid pandemic, there had been a rise in the quantum of Tisreo (clams) on the Reis Magos side of the river. Hence, it is not advisable to anchor the casino vessel at Reis Magos,” said Pednekar.
High drama had unfolded on the Mandovi River at Reis Magos on Thursday afternoon after a group of locals confronted workers allegedly attempting to dredge the riverbed to make way for a floating casino. Sensing the rising anger, the workers packed up their gear and retreated from the site, taking their machinery with them.
The locals then reported the matter to Saligao MLA Kedar Naik and other political leaders, as well as Reis Magos panchayat.
Later in the evening, nearly 150 villagers gathered at a Verem temple to discuss the incident. Saligao MLA Kedar Naik and Sandeep Bandodkar were among those present at the meeting.
Villagers unanimously resolved to resist any attempts to shift casino operations to the Reis Magos–Verem stretch of the Mandovi River and said they were prepared to approach authorities to seek clarity on the alleged dredging permission.
