The BJP-led government just does not bat an eyelid on going back on promises and assurances made to the people of the State, the people who voted for it and brought it to power with a simple majority. The very same people’s views and sentiments also mean little to the government. Throughout its term, since it came to power in March 2012, the government has been consistently and constantly taking what have been now loosely termed ‘U-turns’ on it promises. Now, with just months to go before the State goes to the polls, the government has decided that it will renege on yet another promise. It has decided to grant a licence to a fifth offshore casino that will join the four others on the River Mandovi alongside the capital city Panjim.
These are not mere ‘U-turns’ by the government. These are broken promises that amount to nothing less than a double cross on the part of the government. The government that had promised to shift the offshore casino vessels anchored in the Mandovi out of the river has not only allowed them another 12 months in the river, but has now added a fifth casino to the existing four. If that does not amount to a double cross, what else does? As its coming to an end of its term, the government should have refrained from allowing a new casino to start business in the river. It should have allowed the next government to take that decision. But it didn’t, it felt that it had to dole out another license to the casino lobby, at the expense of Goa.
The opposition, therefore, that has alleged that the government is being run by the casino lobby, that it has sold Goa into the hands of the casino lobby, would not be totally wrong. The fact remains that the government has ensured that it has done whatever it takes to protect the casinos and keep the offshore casinos in the inland waters of Goa, specifically River Mandovi, despite assurances to the contrary. Shifting casinos out of the river, setting up a Gaming Commission, no more new casinos, these are promises that the government has been making along the years but not keeping. What is has instead been doing is ensuring that all its decisions keep the casinos in the inland waters of Goa, in the River Mandovi precisely. Till date, no effort has been made to prepare any other site along the coast, or off the coast, for the casinos to anchor in. The suggested sites were turned down as they were not found feasible for offshore casino operations, giving the floating casinos another year in River Mandovi.
The Chief Minister has, in the past, defended the casino lobby and when there were calls for their closure stated that closing them would send the wrong signal to industry and potential investors. The latest move is an indication that the government is never going to act against the casinos in the State, whatever may be the people’s sentiments in the issue. Today it is a fifth casino that has been permitted to start operations in River Mandovi. There is no guarantee that a sixth and a seventh will not be added to the tally in the future.
The government’s casino capers are not drawing any laughter, only anger. The people have in the past opposed casinos, opposed them operating in River Mandovi, but the government has not listened. The same party, when it was in the opposition had placed forth its objections to the casinos, but changed its views on coming to power. The changing of colours will not get the BJP anywhere with the people. They will react and when they do, the government will have nowhere to hide.
