Someone had a brainwave to cover the advertisement boards of casinos displayed along the Bambolim-Dona Paula Road through which the Vice-President of India travelled on May 29 and 30. A similar spectacle had happened in 2023 when delegates of the G20 summit had convened in Goa. The ‘cover-up’ job must have cost a few lakhs but it gave a brief boost to employment and sale of materials. Was the money paid by the government or by the casino owners? Does the prudish government believe that the VIPs and other hi-fi visitors are unaware of the vices that prevail in Goa? Most people would know or look up and read as to what Goa offers in terms of gambling, hotspots and night spots. Besides the hoardings along Babolim-Dona Paula stretch there are hundreds more in several parts of Goa. Even the traffic barriers bear the names of the casinos. Perhaps the authorities believe that that it is better to have an-ostrich-like attitude. The next time, VIPs come a magician could be hired to temporarily vanish the casino vessels.
