Calls for them to be closed in four months
TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Corporation of the City of Panaji mayor Surendra Furtado, hit out at the present regime, pointing out that the large number of off-shore casinos not only block the free passage of water traffic in the river Mandovi but have also resulted in traffic congestion on the D B Bandodkar Marg. He also wanted casinos banned so that young people do not get lured by the evils of gambling.
“The number of accidents occurring have increased exponentially making motoring dangerous on the roads in Panjim,” Furtado alleged, adding, “It has also been noticed that the off-shore casinos indiscriminately dump their garbage over-board into the river Mandovi which will lead to a major health hazard.”
In a press communiqué issued here, the mayor rooted for the closure of casinos saying that it was “better for the sake of the preservation of the capital city from bad consequences….”
Besides stressing on controlling traffic congestion, cleanliness of the Mandovi River and preserving the social fabric of the youth by getting them involved in healthy activities, Furtado also said that casino clientele urinate in open spaces.
“Gambling is a malaise whose offshoots are easy money, a lethargic culture and related criminal activity which will corrupt the youth and lead them astray,” he said adding, “Goa has a high literacy rate but exposing the youth to the lure of easy money will make them forget their skills and thus lead to the ruin of Goans and its rich heritage.”
Goa has fast become the Macau of India with the mushrooming of off-shore casinos wherein casino owners are making a fast buck at the expense of unsuspecting gamblers, who think they can make it rich overnight, he alleged.
He argued that casino owners, by manipulating their gaming machines, extort money in disguise from those who frequent casinos and this social evil should be banned once and for all.
“Goa can develop without the existence of casinos by providing jobs in alternate manner,” he said and asked the chief minister to close casinos in four months instead of four years which Manohar Parrikar had promised recently.
