Goa to announce casino policy
TCP minister said that a new casino policy is set to be introduced during the next monsoon session.
India.- Vijai Sardessai, town and country planning (TCP) minister, announced on Sunday that the BJP coalition government could announce a new casino policy during the forthcoming monsoon session.
Regarding the status of floating casinos in the state, the minister complained about the casino vessel MV Lucky Seven, which suffered an incident yesterday morning, and said: “It is the chief minister’s domain, but there will be an unanimous cabinet decision announcing the government policy on casinos during the assembly session. It will be for the people to protect the rivers and not the gamblers.” The official reiterated that it’s the court directives decision to allow the vessel to enter the Mandovi river.
Sardessai remarked that the casino owner is not from Goa, so he’s not aware that it shouldn’t have moved during the monsoons. “Although I am a minister, I am critical of the government on this issue,” he added.
Goa has been treating this issue for quite some time now, as they’re trying to relocate the existing casinos to another river. The local government announced last week that the deadline to find a new home for the five offshore casinos that are currently operating in the Mandovi river has been pushed to September 20, as authorities haven’t reached a decision yet.
Whilst the official still believes that the casinos have to move from that river, he said that he’s not against the ones that generate revenue to the state, as Times of India revealed.
