TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: State government on Wednesday took possession of casino vessel M V Leela, owned by the former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda and shifted it from Mandovi River to the Zuari yard.
The Captain of Ports would now seek legal opinion about the auctioning of the vessel along with recovering a whopping Rs 12 crore as unpaid annual fee for the casino owner.
Casino Rio, an offshore casino was purchased from Leela Beach Resort in July 2009 by Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited but since then it was closed.
Speaking to Herald, Captain James Braganza said the anchored vessel did not have enough staff on board for operating it and there were possibility that it would also affect the tourism potential of the area. The vessel has also proved a navigational hurdle.
The decision to take over the vessel was after management of the company failed to tow away the vessel as per the directives of the government, Braganza said. “Now legal opinion would be sought about the auctioning of the vessel and other necessary action against the vessel management,” he said.
The tourism department had earlier issued two notices to the company in January and in June 2013, directing the vessel owner to remove the vessel under Section 7 of the Goa tourist places Act, 2001.
According to government records, GGHPL, the company which is part of Kanda’s business empire, may have to shell out around Rs.11.5 crore as unpaid annual fees for the offshore casino.
