PANJIM: Ribandar residents heaved a sigh of relief, on learning that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had directed the Ports Administration to shift MV Royale Deltin Caravela Floatel casino, from near Chorao bird sanctuary, where it is currently anchored. Captain of Ports, however, said they had not received any specific communication on the matter till Saturday evening.
The assurance on shifting the offshore casino vessel to a yet-to-be identified alternative location came after Panjim MLA Siddharth Kunkalienkar took up the matter with the Chief Minister early Saturday morning. The BJP MLA confirmed the development.
“He (CM) gave a patient hearing on why Ribandar residents are opposing the offshore vessel. As MLA, it was my duty to convey the message to CM. He (Parsekar) has directed CoP to immediately shift the vessel,” he told Herald emerging from the 30-minute long meeting at the CM’s official residence at Altinho.
With this, the agitation scheduled to commence with a Ribandar Bandh on Monday has been suspended. Addressing the media outside Raj Bhavan, lawyer-activist Aires Rodrigues lauded the people of Ribandar for having stood united on the issue. “The agitation has been suspended in view of the assurance given by the CM,” he said.
Earlier, a 11-member delegation of Ribandar residents had called on Parsekar at Altinho to convey their objections to the offshore casino vessel’s position arguing it was an environmental nuisance and detrimental to the local fishing community. Parsekar thereafter showed the delegation copy of the order issued by the government directing the shifting of the casino from Ribandar.
The delegation later called on Goa Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum urging her to prevail on the government to stop promoting casino culture in the State.
On Friday The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and various Goa government authorities over the anchoring of the vessel near the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in violation of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) guidelines.
A day earlier GCZMA had issued a show cause notice to the casino vessel for operating without obtaining CRZ clearance.
Earlier Environment and Forests minister Rajendra Arlekar had asked the Forests Department to direct CoP to shift the casino from its current location.
