NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The state government Monday granted an extension of three months to the five offshore casinos operating from River Mandovi.
“The cabinet has decided to extend the deadline by three months for the offshore casinos to relocate from River Mandovi,” sources said, adding that in view of the earlier one-year deadline, which will come to an end on March 31, the government has now granted an extension to the offshore casinos from April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017.
It may be recalled that in August 2015, the government had granted an extension till March 31, 2016, to the vessels housing casinos to shift away from the river. However, after a failure by the authorities to finalise alternative locations for the vessels, the earlier BJP government led by Laxmikant Parsekar had extended the deadline by a year. As per the March 31, 2016 cabinet decision, the government had stated that the decision was to grant further extension to the offshore casino licences to relocate their vessels from River Mandovi till an alternative feasible site is finalised by the government or till March 31, 2017, whichever is earlier. In 2012, BJP had promised in its election manifesto that offshore casinos would be shifted from River Mandovi and accordingly, then BJP government promised to relocate them by March 31, 2016. The government had identified alternative sites like Aguada Bay and Rivers Chapora, Sal and Zuari. However, the government’s plans failed, as locals and opposition parties raised huge objections to the identified alternative sites, crying loss of livelihood and corruption of youngsters as a result of the casinos, and the cabinet decided to extend the deadline by one more year.
Sources said that the new government headed by Manohar Parrikar is working on a plan, which will resolve the issue of shifting of the offshore casinos from River Mandovi.