PANJIM, AUG 27
It looks like offshore casino operators have no wish to shift from the city limits of Mandovi River even as they had told the High Court that they would make alternate arrangement for anchoring their vessels and would discuss it with the Captain of Ports (CoP).
They had a meeting with CoP and submitted their proposal but locations that they have suggested as an alternative is not about moving away from jurisdiction of the city.
“What they have suggested amounts to inter-changing of their present positions – it is merely shifting from here or there and nothing more,” a CoP official said.
In February last year, pursuant to a Cabinet decision, the government had directed casino operators to shift from their present location to Aguada Bay on grounds that casino vessels parked on either side of the Mandovi were posing navigational problem to other vessels such as barges, fishing vessels and boat cruises.
But it is now apparent from the alternatives suggested by the Casino operators that they have no plan to move anywhere else from their present location.
The CoP has forwarded the proposal given by casino stakeholders to the government seeking its advice. “We have approached the government for advice on this matter,” said a CoP officer.
The government decision asking floating casinos to move out of the city limits of Mandovi River was challenged before High Court by casino operators — Highstreet Cruises, M/s Victor Hotels & Motels Ltd, M/s Advani Hotels & Resorts (India) Ltd, M/s Creative Gambling Solution Pvt Ltd, M/s Hotel Leelaventure Pvt Ltd, M/s Goa Coastal Resorts and Recreation Pvt Ltd. The petitions have been clubbed together and fixed for final hearing.
The government’s stand in the Court was that licence for casino operation is granted by home department but its location in the sea is determined by the CoP while granting permission for four months and they ought to have moved away from their present location.
On the other hand the counsel for the petitioners had submitted that floating casinos were permitted to remain at the present location itself, and accordingly permission was granted.
Presently, only one casino has NOC from CoP to ply in the Mandovi River. The CoP has not renewed NOCs of other casinos following change in the government’s decision last year. Some of the offshore casinos also do not have NOC from the Director General of Shipping (DGS) – the authority that decides whether a vessel is sea worthy or not.
