NT NETWORK
PANAJI
With another extended deadline for relocating the offshore casinos anchored in River Mandovi coming to an end on March 31, the new government, which will come to power after March 11 will have to face a crucial task of taking a call on the issue, as the casinos are facing opposition from sections of the society, including some political parties.
In their election manifesto, political parties like the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Goa Suraksha Manch have promised to shut down the casino business presently running in the state. On the other hand, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, during their poll campaign, promised to shift the casino vessels from River Mandovi. The ruling party, however, has not taken any stand on the issue in its manifesto.
It may be recalled that in August 2015, the state government had granted an extension till March 31, 2016, for the vessels housing casinos to relocate from Mandovi river. However, failure by the authorities to finalise any alternative location forced the government to extend the deadline by a year. As per the March 31, 2016, cabinet decision, the government stated that the decision was to grant further extension to the offshore casino licences to relocate the vessels from River Mandovi till an alternative feasible site is finalised by the government or till March 31, 2017, whichever is earlier.
Besides the four offshore casinos – Deltin JAQK, MV Pride, Deltin Royale and Casino Pride II, the government has also granted permission to the Delta Pleasure Cruise Company Pvt Ltd to operate the MV Royale Floatel on River Mandovi till March 31, 2017.
After promising that the casinos would be shifted from River Mandovi by March 31, 2016, the government had identified alternative sites like the Aguada Bay and Rivers Chapora, Sal and Zuari. However, locals and opposition parties raised huge objections crying loss of livelihood and youngsters going astray as a result of the casinos.
When asked about the issue, highly placed sources in the government said that as per the cabinet decision, the offshore casino vessels should move out from the River Mandovi by March 31, 2017, pointing out that the fresh call on the matter, however, will have to be taken by the new government. As no one knows whose government will come to power after March 11, the senior officers in the state administration are also not in a position to make out the fate of the casino industry.
“Since it will be a policy decision, the new government will have to decide on the issue, probably may be in its first cabinet meeting,” sources said.
It must be pertinent to note that after an extension of deadline to the casino licences in April 2016, there has actually been no serious effort to find alternative sites.
“Since the existing casino vessels have all the required permissions, we cannot abruptly close them down or ask them to move out of Mandovi. We have to give them alternative site. If not, then they can drag us to court, further delaying the entire shifting process,” Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had said in July 2016.
Meanwhile, the state government has sought the legal opinion of Advocate General (AG) Saresh Lotlikar on the draft gaming rules, which have been framed along the Macau model, before the rules can be brought into force.
The rules, which have a provision to ban the entry of Goans on casinos except for employment, were earlier recalled by the home department from the law department to be redrafted based on the Macau casino rules. “We have now sent the gaming commission file to the AG and are waiting for his opinion before the rules are notified,” a senior officer said.
The state cabinet had defined many terms like area, casino, electronic gaming, live gaming, offshore, offshore casino, onshore casino and passenger capacity in the Goa Public Gambling (Amendment) Act 1976.
Under the draft rules, the state home department has given power to the state government to appoint a gaming commissioner, who could be a private person or a government officer. Sources said that the government has kept option open pertaining to the appointment of gaming commissioner, adding that if a private person is appointed then he should be provided necessary infrastructure including staff or they could appoint the collector, excise commissioner or the commercial tax commissioner as the gaming commissioner.
There are five offshore casinos on River Mandovi besides a dozen onshore five-star hotel-operated casinos in the state. The industry, roughly contributes around Rs 200 crore in revenue to the exchequer.