TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Congress party has decided to move breach of privilege motion against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for failing to utilize the revenue earned through casinos for old-age homes and to treat the people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer, as was assured in the State Legislative Assembly in August 2012.
“The Chief Minister had told the House that bad money from casinos was fit to be kept in a separate account to utilize for old age homes and elderly people suffering from regressive ailments like Alzheimer’s. But nothing has been done so far. In fact casinos are being promoted,” CLP spokesman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco told a press conference Monday.
He also flayed Parrikar’s recent statement supporting existence of casinos in which he claimed that Rs 150 crore was generated from it which will support the cash-strapped State. “Parrikar should either accept that he cannot run the government or correct his statement because as the Leader of Opposition he (Parrikar) had demanded removal of all off-shore casinos,” Lourenco said accusing him of cheating Goans on casinos.
After M V Horseshoe’s ‘illegal entry in Goan waters, he further alleged that government was considering granting licence to an onshore casino ‘Pebble brook’ at Porvorim. “It belongs to Delhi based, former casino king of Nepal Rakesh Wadhwa, also a fugitive from Nepal,” the spokesman added.
“There is a Sri Lankan Director in Wadhwa’s Company Update Recreation and Gaming Pvt Ltd…Her visa is expiring in October and she has not provided correct details of purpose of her visit to India,” he said without identifying the woman.
Lourenco while conceding that a string of off-shore casino licences were given during Congress regime, clarified that Goa Pradesh Congress Committee at this stage opposes Horseshoe casino and floating hotels.
