NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The MV Lucky Seven casino vessel late Saturday evening got grounded on the sandbar at the mouth of river Mandovi, with reported injuries to five of its crewmembers.
Highly-placed sources informed this daily that the vessel housing the sixth offshore casino as promoted by the Golden Globe Hotel Private Limited, and owned by former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda got grounded on the sandbar due to gusty winds and high tide, just as efforts were being made to bring it in the Mandovi.
The sources maintained that the jerk suffered by the vessel resulted in seriously injuring one and inflicting minor injuries to three to four others.
“In fact, these crewmembers were hurt as they were trying to control the vessel with the help of wire rope,” the sources stated. The sources also said that it was impossible to approach the vessel until Sunday morning, mainly because the rescue boats cannot reach the vessel until high tide provides sufficient water for their movement up to the sand bar.
The Captain of Ports is expected to send the rescue team to the vessel on Sunday morning.
It was also informed that the Captain of Ports had warned against moving the vessel in the Mandovi river, and even maintained that the vessel would be much safer in the port in this monsoon season.
The vessel was all set to operate in the Mandovi as the company had paid Rs 50 crore dues to the government for revival of its licence.
A company official had stated that the company would pay recurring fee for the year 2017-18 after obtaining no objection certificate from the Captain of Ports department, and further claimed that the home department has already renewed the licence.
Public relations officer of the company Damodar Bhatkar stated that the licence was granted by the government in 2006 for operation in Mandovi river, and is the second offshore casino licence, which was transferred from MV Leela in 2009.
Bhatkar stressed that this is not a new offshore casino licence, and added that there is renewal of licence with the replacement of vessel. “The home department has completed all the formalities as regards to the renewal of licence after direction of Bombay High Court at Goa,” he added, pointing out that earlier, the government had renewed this licence in 2011.