PANJIM: They are going nowhere. By December, and only if the government lays out the infrastructure, will the casino vessels which lord over the river Mandovi dare to move out. But where are they going, if at all. Not on the high seas, away from sight or memory, but to another river near you. It could be Chapora or the Aguada bay in north Goa or the Sal or the Zuari in the south.
The Parsekar government, which felt the pain of casino operators with the chief minister saying moving them out will hamper investment is making a big deal out of this cosy arrangement. This is how the government is pitching it. The off-shore casino operators have unanimously agreed to move their vessels out of river Mandovi provided Goa government provides suitable infrastructure like jetties. A feasibility report by the Ports Administration will ascertain where out of the four identified spots, the four vessels will be anchored.
The government of course will lay the red carpet or whatever the equivalent of it is on water. “Ports Minister Dilip Parulekar, (also the tourism minister and the darling of the casino lobby) who chaired the meeting on Thursday, said the government will provide all assistance to ensure the off-shore casinos are shifted by December 2015.
“They had written to the government four years ago agreeing to shift out of Mandovi river. Even now, they are ready to relocate either at river Chapora, river Sal, river Zuari and Aguada bay provided infrastructure is ready. We will do everything possible by December-end,” he told Herald emerging from the meeting, which was also attended by Ports Captain James Braganza besides the stakeholders.
Parulekar stated that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar will be consulted before taking a final decision. “We will consult the CM only after a final decision will be announced. In the meantime, the Ports Administration expertise will prepare a feasibility report,” he added.
One of the off-shore casino representatives told Herald, requesting anonymity, that one of their demands included that government build jetties for respective vessels from where the feeder boats will pick and drop passengers. The hidden demands are many, but the most obvious demand which has already been met is that they are not moving out of Goa’s waters
The government is slated to hold another round of meeting once the research is complete.
There have been constant demands to relocate the vessels with Congress pointing out the government’s failure to remove the vessels.
The BJP, in their 2012 manifesto had promised shifting the vessels from the Mandovi river bank. But the idea was to move them to the high seas. That clearly will not be the case.
But yes, the government did take steps to clear them from the Mandovi because the most virulent anti casinos groups are based in the capital town. The cabinet recently decided not to renew the licences of the off shore casino vessels which are not ready to move out of Mandovi river, once their current permission expires. The policy to shift these vessels by December 2015 was also drafted making these points clear.
As per information provided to the state assembly, the license issued to the casino M V Horseshoe expires on August 29, 2015, that to casino M V Pride of Goa expires on September 12, 2015, one issued to casino M V Boa Sorte expires on December 3, 2015, and licence issued to casino M V Casino Royale expires on December 23, 2015.
