If there is one thing that the Opposition made clear in the session of the Legislative Assembly that ended last week, it is the undeniable fact that the issue of offshore casinos in the River Mandovi is an issue that affects the entire State and not just the residents of Panjim. The united opposition strength on this was displayed when the opposition MLAs protested Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s query as to why Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte was interested in casino licnences when it doesn’t fall in his constituency. The MLAs came together to say that this is an issue that affects all of Goa. And they were very right.
The offshore casinos have been anchored in the River Mandovi where it flows past the capital city of Panjim ever since the first casino was opened in Goa, but that doesn’t mean that the issue is not a pan-Goa issue and should be restricted to just Panjim or to be taken up by the representatives of Panjim. Goa is a small State and whatever transpires in one area will naturally affect the rest of the State. Besides, the residents of Panjim were never taken into confidence when the first offshore casino was brought to their shore, or more added. Every boat that came and anchored in the river was an unpleasant surprise to the residents of the State capital.
The previous MLA of Panjim, Manohar Parrikar, had earlier, when he was in the Opposition been present at protest meets against the casinos, but once he came to occupy the chief minster’s seat he took another of his by now famous ‘U’ turns on the issue. Yes, he gave a deadline for their shifting, but little has been done in moving them out of the river. The present MLA of Panjim has said that this is a ‘non-issue’ as far as he is concerned. Such as this is, it would require MLAs from outside Panjim to take up the cause of the residents and constituents of Panjim.
The thinking of the BJP on the issue appears to be quite clear from their repeated statements. The party does not intend to stir the waters on which the casinos are floating and create a ripple or a wave that will send them down the river and to the sea. In January Parsekar had said, “We should not disturb the business which is already settled.” This month he said that the government does not, “intend to throw investors on the road when investments are already made.”
Surely relocating the offshore casinos will not throw the firms on the roads or unduly disturb their business. By the very definition of offshore it is understood that the ships on which the casino operations would be run would be anchored at a certain distance from the shores of the State and not within kiss blowing distance of the banks of the river Mandovi. The casino operators should also be aware that they cannot be carrying out their operations on the River Mandovi for always. The government, last year, gave itself a deadline of December 3, 2015, by when to shift the boats from the river. If that deadline is to be met then there are just about eight months during which to identify an alternative area for their operations and commence the shifting process. Till date, there doesn’t appear to be any progress on the shifting of the vessels out of the river. Instead of finding excuses to keep the casinos on the Mandovi for longer periods, the government should have been actively pursuing with the firms their relocation to the new spot.
Activists in the past few months have pointed out that the casinos vessels, since they are now registered under the Inland Vessels Act, will not be allowed to go to sea. The registrations under this Act were possible after the government amended the Goa Public Gambling Act 1976 bringing casino vessels under the purview of this Act and the Captain of Ports. When the casinos are shifted they should not be relocated to another spot in the same river or on any other river of Goa. The offshore casinos should be sent to ply their trade offshore, that is in the high seas, away from the line of sight of the residents of Goa. That would be the best place for these boats.
