Team Herald
PANJIM: Herald’s expose of the new Casino Policy yesterday ‘Gear up for Casino towns in Goa’ has opened a Pandora’s box of probabilities and possibilities. Sources within BJP reveal that the Draft of the Goa Public Gambling (Restriction) Bill to replace the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act of 1976 was slated for inclusion as one of the agenda items for the Cabinet Meeting held on October 31. The Draft prepared in all earnest was to be quickly passed in the Cabinet meeting first and then admitted to being passed smoothly in a soon-to-be-called Winter Session of Goa Assembly.
Interestingly, the fact that a Casino Policy that would be pro-Casino lobby and especially enabling to one of the largest casino players operating in Goa was in the offing became quite evident when the operator who allegedly has access to over 4 lakh square metres of land near proposed Mopa Greenfield Airport and is speculated to invest over Rs 300 crore in developing an integrated resort said about the new Gaming Policy that it is “the best thing would be to keep it close to the new airport, so that the rest of the state does not get affected”. The statement appeared on the same day when the Cabinet meeting was due to take place. Was then an industry leader speaking out about a proposed policy on the same day of a hurriedly called Cabinet Meeting aware of the deal? Or was it already a done
deal? The coincidences are too many.
The contents of the new Act that seeks to develop ‘Casino towns’ assume significance with the state government announcing earlier on October 9 that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would be heading the newly create Mopa Planning and Development Authority. This would be another first that a sitting (and ailing Chief Minister) would be serving as Chairman of a PDA directly under the Town and Country Planning Minister. The contents of the proposed Goa Public Gambling (Restriction) Bill belie the hurry in moving the Act.
However, coalition partners in the Cabinet seem to have no clue of this part of the Agenda. MGP flatly denied the existence of this Draft Bill in the agenda.
Sources within the Government reveal that the Draft Bill which seeks to shift live gaming casinos from Mandovi to the proposed Mopa Airport at its own pace was prepared by a senior legal official close to the CM who also holds the Home portfolio that governs the Casino industry. However, senior functionaries in BJP hierarchy got a whiff of the proposed Gaming Act and are said to have shot down the idea saying that supporting casinos are not a part of BJP’s philosophy and ideology. So the Draft even though ready in time for, could not be tabled for the Cabinet Meeting.
What is significant here is the fact that the Chief Minister’s personal presence is required for passage of the Goa Public Gambling (Restriction) Bill and for the Casinos to move from Mandovi to Mopa. The missed opportunity would have left many of those supporting the Casino industry within and without the Government, unhappy.
