Team Herald
PORVORIM: The issue of the stranded M V Lucky 7 offshore casino vessel was raised in the State Assembly on Tuesday with Congress MLA Pratapsing Rane urging the government to decongest River Mandovi.
“There is another site (to shift the offshore casino vessels). We can show you (government) and make it a tourist place. But don’t allow more vessels in the river. Soon mining will start (full-fledged) and barge operators are not happy with the blocking of the river channel,” he told the House.
Rane’s comments come in the wake of Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd-owned M V Lucky 7 getting stranded off Miramar beach. The vessel had left Mormugao Port Trust on July 13 defying warnings from the Captain of Ports over bad weather, and has since then not reached its designated site off Campal. It had dropped anchor off Miramar beach on Sunday after failing at least three attempts to leave from Aguada bay to reach off Campal. The fear of oil spillage continues even as the Ports Administration has begun the process to empty 12,000 litres of fuel from the vessel’s tank as a precautionary measure to avoid any oil spillage in the waters.
Meanwhile, NCP MLA Churchill Alemao has asked the government to impose a hefty entry fee on Goans to discourage them from getting addicted to gambling. “I have been demanding to impose Rs 5,000 entry fee for Goans. We do need revenue, I understand but let there be some restrictions on Goans entering casinos. Our Goan youth are getting addicted to casino gambling and this is destroying many houses. I know about a suicide case too,” he stated.
