Team Herald
PANJIM: The Panjim by-election campaign is witnessing political parties making allegations and counter allegations over the very controversial existence of offshore casinos in River Mandovi.
While the BJP that once demanded their removal from the congested river is tight-lipped on its party-led coalition’s assurance on shifting the vessels, the Congress has promised the Panjimites to remove the off-shore casinos within 100 days of its candidate Atanasio Monserrate winning the upcoming by-poll. The assurance, however, does not mean stoppage of casino culture in Goa as the party has proposed shifting live gaming to land-based casinos.
The Congress and Goa Suraksha Manch have raised the pitch against BJP demanding to know why the manifesto has no mention of its old assurance to get rid of the vessels.
GSM’s Panjim campaign manager Mahesh Mhambrey recalled that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, who was the then Leader of Opposition, had led public protests against off-shore casinos. He said that Parrikar used language like sinking the casino vessels in the sea or ‘andar ghuske marenge’ during the protests but it has been forgotten since BJP came to the power in 2012.
“BJP’s manifesto for Panjim by-election has systematically avoided speaking about removing the offshore casinos from River Mandovi. Their leader late Manohar Parrikar had campaigned against offshore casinos before 2012 Goa Assembly election, but they have forgotten about it later. The issue is also missing from their current manifesto,” he said during a press conference on Sunday.
In view of sustained opposition to the existence and operations of the off-shore casinos from the anti-casino lobby with government failing to fulfill its past election, Congress seems to have taken a good opportunity this time. Its candidate Atanasio Monserrate has raised this as an election plank with the party assuring to shift offshore casinos out of River Mandovi within 100 days of Monserrate winning the seat.
“I am not against casinos. The offshore casinos existed because they are allowed to have live gaming on it. We can shift the live gaming in land-based casinos and then offshore vessels can move out of River Mandovi,” said Monserrate.
BJP has defended itself claiming that State government has adopted a stand to move out offshore casinos. “All the six offshore casinos which are currently in River Mandovi were permitted by the Congress and Monserrate was a part of cabinet that gave licences to these vessels,” BJP Goa Unit president Vinay Tendulkar said in response to a media question on the allegations against the party for not living up to its promise.
He said that it is BJP-led government that has taken a firm stand against the offshore casinos and it will fulfill its promise.
The already congested river has six offshore casinos with the State government, in March, granting another six months’ extension to operate in River Mandovi.
