Team Herald

PANJIM: Criticising the government for its plan to shift offshore casinos to other side of Mandovi River, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said that he finds “something fishy” in the shifting deal.

“Our issue has been to remove the casinos out of Mandovi and not shifting them,” Khaunte told reporters.

He said that he has some apprehensions over shifting the casinos as the Ports Minister Michael Lobo is taking interest in doing this.

“I can see some cash flow coming in; I can expect boats will change under the guise of shifting,” he inferred.

Khaunte said that Lobo must have done some deal as he knows that licence transfer is legally possible now. 

“Maybe he wants to get bigger boats and may float the smaller boats in Calangute as floating restaurants,” the MLA speculated.

He said that he is opposed to the idea of shifting.

“People are not in same wavelength as Michael. He has taken people for granted and he thinks what he is talking is right. I will stand with the people who oppose this,” Khaunte said.