In a circular issued on Wednesday, the government has set a deadline of 15 days to submit the suggestions to the Home department.
The proposed sites were identified following a cabinet decision on August 14, 2013 that all offshore casinos are required to be shifted out of River Mandovi.
As per the decision, each casino operator was granted operational licence for five years with an undertaking to shift out of the existing location within two years of signing it. As the deadline inches closer, the government recently identified the four sites even as some locals raised objection to relocating the vessels to their areas citing various problems.
If the procedure delays, sources said, the vessels are bound by law to stop operations even though they will be allowed to anchor in River Mandovi till an alternative site is finalized. The cabinet had recently decided not to renew licences of offshore casinos which are not ready to shift once their current permission expires. The policy to shift these vessels by December 2015 was also drafted making these points clear. The casino operators have nonetheless agreed to the decision provided the government ensures suitable infrastructure.
As per the information, the two-year deadline to Casino Deltiin Jaqk expires on August 29, 2015 followed by Casino M V Pride of Goa on September 12, 2015, Deltiin Royale in October while Casino Pride II’s deadline ends on December 3, 2015.
