PANJIM: Pressing for a ban on ‘casino culture’, the Congress on Monday opposed the move to relocate off shore casino vessels to other rivers and demanded that the vessels be shifted to the sea.
Addressing the media, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Luizinho Faleiro said that if the BJP-led government is keen on relocating casino vessels from river Mandovi it should ensure that the licenses are not renewed unless the boats shift to the sea.
“Initially, when off shore casinos came to Goa, they were meant to be away from the city – in the sea – not in rivers. These vessels have no business to be in the rivers,” Faleiro said.
The statement comes in the wake of an announcement by Ports Minister Dilip Parulekar that off shore casino vessels would be shifted from river Mandovi to Aguada Bay, which overlooks Miramar beach.
“This is all rubbish, it’s an eye wash, it’s like shifting the vessels from one point to another point of the river. BJP in its manifesto had promised to shift the vessels out of river Mandovi and not to another point of the river,” the GPCC president said.
Congress has pitched its demand pointing out to the recent report by Goa State Pollution Control Board which said the rivers, including river Mandovi, are highly polluted. “We may not worship rivers but we respect the rivers and the GSPCB report says Mandovi is fully polluted and the river cannot take more pollution,” Faleiro said.
“If the government is so earnest in removing casinos, then don’t renew their licenses, ask them to move out, take all other political parties into confidence. We will support the government move,” he added.
The Congress leader also said that ‘casino culture’ should be banned, whether it is onshore or off shore. “It is an evil affecting Goan society. The culture is creating hell for our state, especially youths,” he said.
Indirectly hinting at banning entry of Goans into casinos, Faleiro said that many Goan youth are falling for this culture ruining their life and destroying families. “Just because the government is earning some crores of money in the form of revenue, we cannot destroy society,” he said.
Earlier, former Advocate General Subodh Kantak said the previous Congress government had also recommended shifting of casino vessels to Aguada Bay, however, the Captain of Ports had raised objection stating that the bay is not feasible for anchoring such big vessels.
