Team Herald
MARGAO: Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco while castigating the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for promoting casinos in Goa demanded to know how many Goans have been provided jobs by the casinos and said 80 per cent jobs for Goans is just a slogan used by the chief minister.
Briefing media persons today, he said he dared Manohar to come out with a white paper on number of Goan employed in the casinos in Goa and said he would salute the chief minister if the figure is 80 per cent. “Goans are only employed for the menial jobs like drivers and stewards while even front office jobs are given to non Goans including Nepalis,” he said.
He expressed surprise that no action was taken against Gopal Kanda for shutting down his casino called mint without even paying the workers their promised wages for two months. “The administration is so weak that the Labour Department did not even raid his casino once and now he has been given licenses to operate two new casinos,” he said
Aleixo pointed out that the private sector in Goa does not favour Goan labour force and hence Goan youth are getting distressed due to non availability of job opportunities.
He said that as per law no Goan can enter a casino unless he has a tourist permit issued by the Gaming Commissioner and termed Goans visiting casinos at present violators of law who could be penalized.
He said the Gaming Commissioner is not issuing tourist permit and hence no Goan can visit the casino.
