Sixth offshore casino to bring in Rs 50 crore revenue

NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that his government has no hesitation in renewing the licences given to the six offshore casinos by the erstwhile Congress governments, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday said that his government has strictly followed the policy of not giving new licence to any floating casino in Goa.
Admitting that the sixth casino could arrive in River Mandovi in the near future, by way of renewal of its licence by the government, Parsekar, who also holds the Home portfolio, told this daily that the new offshore casino will bring in Rs 50 crore to the government exchequer, and that the government just cannot refuse such an impressive revenue, during prevailing circumstances.
“If the government coffer receives this revenue by way of renewal of offshore casino licence, then why should I refuse it in times of financial crunch,” he questioned.
It may be recalled that the government had recently expressed its opinion before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court that if M/s Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd (GGHPL) pays the annual recurring fees to the government to the tune of Rs 50 crore, and applies for the renewal of its offshore casino licence, then the same could be considered positively.
GGHPL, a subsidiary of former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda’s MDLR Group’s casino, had failed to pay the annual licence fee to the state government. The particular licence was earlier in the name of M/s Hotel Leela Venture Limited and subsequently transferred to GGHPL.
GGHPL, in turn, agreed before the court to pay the arrears to the state government within a stipulated time so as to enable the state government to take a decision to renew the offshore casino licence.
The Chief Minister also said that the arrival of new vessel housing the sixth offshore casino should not be interpreted as a new offshore casino. “Although a new vessel is allowed to house an offshore casino by way of renewal of licence, we will not issue any fresh licence for such a casino,” he reiterated.
The sixth casino is expected to arrive on River Mandovi before the end of the year.