MARGAO: Congress MLA Reginaldo Aleixo Lourenco demanded on Friday that the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar come clean over his government’s policy on casinos and wondered whether his much touted policy is to shift the offshore casinos on-land, given the fact that two new casinos on land have been approved.
Briefing media persons, Reginaldo said the challan to pay the dues has already been issued for one casino proposed at Novotel resort and another on land casino is licensed on the Kadamba plateau. “The chief minister is issuing licence to the casinos to garner funds for the BJP in future elections from the casino lobby,” he alleged.
Reacting to Parrikar’s stand that it was the Congress that brought casinos in Goa, he asked who stops Parrikar from throwing them out if he so wishes.
Reginaldo also alleged that the casinos are not paying GST and disclosed that he had sent five people on different dates to the casinos and all five returned without any bills showing that GST is being paid, “While goods and services are offered on the off shore casinos, why are they exempted from paying GST?” he asked pointing out that even the smallest trader is forced to pay GST.
“One can win up to Rs 20 lakh on the offshore casinos and can you imagine how much revenue the State would get if GST was collected on this?” he asked and wondered whether the source of the money used for gambling at the casinos is ever checked.
Pointing out that the chief minister has not yet appointed the Gaming Commission, Reginaldo also wondered what had happened to the proposal to ban Goans from entering the offshore casinos.
