NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Charging the government of colluding with M/s Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd to bring the sixth casino in River Mandovi, by admitting before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court its willingness to renew the off-shore casino licence of the company, the independent MLA from Fatorda, Vijai Sardesai, on Friday demanded that the government should instead approach the Supreme Court, and challenge the petition of the company, that had sought a direction from the High Court, to quash and set aside the demand made by the government in respect of annual recurring fees towards the casino licence granted to it.
The Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, responding to a related Zero Hour Mention from Sardesai said that he would look into the demand.
Earlier, the independent Fatorda MLA said that the government has given the impression that Mandovi River has been reserved by it for the casino lobby.
“The casino lobby is super powerful and hence the government did not challenge its petition before the High Court, but chose to collude with it,” he added.
Parsekar, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that the government had allowed 6 off-shore casinos in River Mandovi, and if M/s Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd chooses to re-start its off-shore casino in River Mandovi – which was operational from September 27, 2006 – subject to the renewal of the licence, then it cannot be termed as a new casino. 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, pays the annual recurring fees to the government to the tune of Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore, and applies for the renewal of its offshore casino licence, then the same could be considered positively.