containing a casino is spreading, cutting across party lines and bringing in its wake some serious questions regarding its right to be stationed off the Salim Ali bird sanctuary, and now the with the GCZMA issuing a show cause notice for it being stationed in a CRZ IV area.
And with elections being six months away, at least two MLAs, Pandurang Madkaikar and Rohan Khaunte, have got a much needed fillip to their campaigns, which will be all about localised issues dominating the landscape as much as the bigger picture.
AS widely reported in several publications and websites Madkaikar went to the extent of saying that casinos are a cancer and have to be eradicated. It’s another matter though that he was also a Cabinet minister when casinos floated on the Mandovi and did not speak of them even as a common cold, leave alone cancer. But times change. And desperate times call for desperate measures. And Mr Madkaikar has even called for euthanasia (mercy killing) of casinos. Madkaikar was quoted as having said, “No government will remove these vessels – the only option left is to set these vessels on fire”. This may not quite be the right route to mercy for the people of Goa but in poll time, everything goes.
Party lines have been breached in the opposition to the casinos. BJP backed CCP corporator Rupesh Halarnkar has even said that he will resign from his position if the casino isn’t removed. It’s clear that almost everyone with political ambitions, backed by a local social movement is on the remove casino trail.
While the concerns of the locals need to be addressed, and the Floatel needs to move out, if it is harming the ecology and is violating CRZ regulations, the government needs to clarify on a few points urgently and in unison.
Firstly the Captain of Ports is being dragged into what is fundamentally a decision taken by the cabinet to bring in this casino. The bone of contention now is the spot where it is stationed. The forest department needs to officially state if there is indeed a violation in terms of MV FLoatel’s distance from the Salim Ali bird sanctuary. While the forest minister has claimed that a letter “directing” the Captain of Ports to remove the casino was sent, there is no evidence of that letter. The Captain of Ports has not received it and the forest department which supposedly sent the letter is unable to produce it.
The issue is most likely to end up in court or the National Green tribunal. However the government needs to look at the issue of parking its casinos seriously and urgently. It will be close to year since the exercise to look for alternate spots commenced. And while the Chicalim bay did emerge as an option, the Chief Minister has said that this is not officially in consideration as of now. Hence the problem at hand is not limited to MV Royal Floatel alone. The removal or re-allocation of parking space for casinos should be on the short to-do list of the government. However with the financial backing the government gets from them, no move which is detrimental to their interests is likely to be taken. As Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza said on Friday that unless the government was financially strong, the debate of whether casinos should be there or not has to be on hold. If that is the case, then the justification for not touching casinos can be valid only if a detailed financial turnaround road map with timelines is made public. The open ended welcome and tolerance cannot be limitless.
