Team Herald
PANJIM: Golden Globe Hotel Private Limited has signed an agreement with Arihant Ship Breakers to tow the grounded offshore casino vessel M V Lucky 7 back to Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
A senior government official told Herald that the casino firm, owned by Haryana’s former minister Gopal Kanda, entered into the agreement following instructions from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to tow the vessel back to MPT.
“Since the vessel has run aground off Miramar beach and is not in a position to sail back to MPT owing to various reasons include unfavourable weather and sea condition, an expert in this field is the only option. As such, the firm and the salvaging agency have entered into this agreement. Government has no role to play at this stage except for monitoring the situation,” he said.
The vessel has over a dozen crew members still on board while four – three suffering from sea sickness and one injured – were rescued on Sunday by the Indian Coast Guard.
Lucky 7 is moored off Miramar beach after at least three-four attempts to reach the designated spot off Campal failed.
Arihant had earlier being tasked with removing the ill-fated M V River Princess vessel from Sinquerim.
AAAAG opposes new casino
Team Herald
PANJIM: Aaam Aurat Admi Against Gambling (AAAAG) has strongly condemned the entry of M V Lucky 7 in River Mandovi.
“The government has once again contributed to the environmental disaster of the State by permitting the entry of the casino in the prohibited period of entry of vessels in Mandovi River by speaking in favour of the casinos in the High Court,” a statement issued by the NGO’s Convener Sabina Martins said. AAAAG appealed to the High Court to take suo motto cognizance of the grounding of the offshore casino vessel in the sand bar risking the lives of people and damaging public property and the environment.
“The owner who gave an undertaking of moving the casino at personal risk cannot put other people at risk or damage public property and environment. When the vessel River Princess was grounded, crores of public money were spent to remove it, besides the vessel had changed tidal waves, eroded the beaches and caused huge environmental damage,” it said.
