MARGAO: Curtorim MLA Alex Reginaldo Lourenco lashed out at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for pursuing what he called wrong policies in the tourism sector especially that which will allow live gaming casinos on land.
He questioned Parrikar that when he steps down, does he want to be remembered for devastating Goa’s beauty and tourism by infesting the State with Casinos?
Reginaldo stated that casinos in Goa are nothing but avenues for gambling, prostitution, escort services and drug trafficking while Goan culture is thrown in the wind. “It’s sad but true that in Parrikar’s Goa, World Tourism Day stands for Casino Promotion day,” he said.
He reminded Parrikar of the assurance given by him on the floor of the House during the last Assembly session that a gaming commission will be set up. “The fact is that Parrikar and his BJP are today bosom friends of casino mafia because they need continuous bribe money both in the State and at the Centre to finance the upcoming 2018 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Reginaldo informed that 4 lakh sq mts of land in Nerul has been purchased by Deltin Casino company owned by tycoon Jaydev Modi to qualify to make a designated area for casinos. He stated that in the designated areas for casinos the rule of law of the State will not run and the area will become a haven for drug trafficking and prostitution by the casino lobby who, he claims, want to make Goa a Sin City.
“A policy is being framed the BJP government to permit this proposed casino,” he accused. He said that the policy is contrary to the Anti-gambling Act and would be worse than SEZ Act.
The MLA also informed that he would be writing to the Tourism Minister not to allow this policy. “On World Tourism Day, it’s my plea to Manohar Parrikar to tell the people that ‘before stepping down I will fix the casino issue and do something good for Goa’.”
