PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has vehemently opposed another six months extension to the off-shore casinos allowing them to operate in River Mandovi till March 2019.
Party President Girish Chodankar alleged that BJP is treating casinos ‘as its ATMS’ and charged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of taking money (bribe) from the casinos lobby.
“Parrikar has taken money from the casinos, which is why he is granting the vessels extensions. It looks that giving extension to the off-shore casinos is more important to him than his own health. BJP is treating casinos as ATMs,” he said addressing a press conference on Sunday.
Chodankar also sought to know when the Cabinet decision granting extension to casinos was taken as claimed by PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar, who had told reporters on Saturday that grant of extension was a cabinet decision by circulation. “We don’t know when and how Cabinet decision was taken. The party strongly believes that the review meeting of the ministers last week was essentially for casinos,” he said alleging nexus between the government and the casinos lobby.
The government had earlier granted six months extension from April 1, 2018 to September 30, after identification of an alternate location was yet again not fruitful.
