Cong takes a stand on casino, drugs

Team Herald

PANJIM: Congress on Wednesday demanded that the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) conduct a study of the ecological damage caused to Miramar beach due to the grounding of the casino vessel Lucky 7.

The party also demanded that waters of River Mandovi be tested by NIO and Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to ascertain the pollution level due to the five offshore casinos anchored in the river. 

Addressing the media, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shantaram Naik said NIO needs to conduct a detailed study of the ecological damage caused by the casinos to Miramar beach. “I also want NIO and GSPCB to test waters of River Mandovi to check the proportion of pollution the offshore casinos has caused to the river,” he said. 

“Whoever is responsible for the damage should be booked by the government. Criminal case should be filed against those held accountable,” Naik said, when cornered that Congress party had introduced casinos in Goa. 

Speaking about the ongoing police-drug nexus issue, the former MP said the party would like to know how sensitive the BJP-led government is about the issue. “It was one of the issues, where Congress was criticised by the BJP and made it an election issue. We know want to see how BJP deals with it,” he said. 

Referring to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s recent statement that unemployment leads to youth moving towards unwanted vices like drugs, Naik said “This means that the issue of drugs will never be solved. Unemployment will continue to remain in some proportion. This means the drugs will also continue.”