PANJIM: The Goa government has confirmed that conditional licenses of four offshore casinos will not be renewed until an alternative site to relocate the vessels is finalized. Ports Minister Dilip Parulekar said casino operators will be asked to stop operations once the five year license expires.
Deltin Jaqk will be the first to halt operations as its deadline to shift is August 29, 2015. “We will hold back renewals until they are moved out of river Mandovi,” the minister told Herald.
Based on a 2013 cabinet decision, each casino operator was granted operational licenses for five years with an undertaking to relocate to an alternative site within two years of signing it.
M V Casino Pride 1, Deltin Royale and Casino Pride 2 could face closure of operation if the government fails to finalize any of the four identified sites – Aguada bay, and rivers Sal, Chapora and Zuari – to shift the vessels by December-end.
Casino M V Pride license expires on September 12, 2015, Deltin Royale in October and Casino Pride II on December 3, 2015. Parulekar said the vessels will nonetheless be allowed to anchor until a certain period but with a strict ban on operations.
The Home Department is chalking out a mechanism to ensure the casino operators do not violate the law. Additional Home Secretary Sanjiv Gadkar had recently told Herald that a joint team comprising of undersecretary (home) and officials from excise, police and related government agencies will maintain a vigil through surprise checks on board the vessels.
