Goa HC orders state to act on casino hoarding appeals

The Goa High Court has ordered authorities to decide on appeals filed by casino operators challenging the Corporation of the City of Panaji’s (CCP) order.

India.- The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued instructions to the State government, urging it to take a decision regarding the appeals filed by casino operators to challenge the order issued by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to dismantle advertisement hoardings. 

The court’s intervention came during the hearing of a suo motu writ petition that dates back to 2007. Additionally, the Court has made the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority a party to the case, requesting their input on the status of hoardings along the bank of River Mandovi at Betim.

According to the CCP, 61 letters were received challenging the government’s decision to remove the hoardings. In response, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court requested the government to make a decision as soon as possible.

According to The Goan, advocate general Devidas Pangam answered the Court with an expeditious decision, emphasising that the hoardings violate the rules.

During the previous hearing, the High Court asked municipalities to provide information about the illegal hoardings and the measures taken to remove them. There was a request from Mapusa Municipality, as well as a few others, for more time to provide the information, and the court granted it.

In addition, the court gave the 15-member committee founded by the government three months more to develop policies to control and decide how licences are issued.

In April, during G20 meetings, authorities in Goa covered up metal barricades that sport casino branding in the state capital, Panaji, in a bit to protect the state’s reputation and avoid potential criticism from the international community.

In an interview with the National Herald India, former Panaji mayor Surendra Furtado said it was surprising that the Goa government had covered the road barricades provided by casinos. He suggested that the purpose was to conceal the casino operators’ names to avoid showing their influence on the chief minister Pramod Sawant-led government to the G20 delegates.

Currently, there are ten onshore casinos and six offshore casinos in operation. In 2021, chief minister Pramod Sawant reported the casino industry had contributed revenue of over Rs 1277.29 crore (US$155m) to the state since 2012.