Goa opposes Aguada Bay as possible site for casinos

The Congress of Goa said that it is opposed to moving the offshore casinos from Mandovi river to Aguada Bay.

India.- The government of Goa has been trying to find a possible site for the offshore casinos in Mandovi river. Earlier this year, Aguada Bay had been named as one of the possible sites to move the facilities, but the Congress is now saying that it is opposed to that.

Congress spokesperson Agnelo Fernandes said that offshore casinos in Goa won’t be allowed to move from Mandovi to Aguada Bay, as it would create problems in the Calangute belt. He mentioned violence and drugs as some of the causes of why he is opposed to the idea.

Aguada Bay had been proposed by the government, as it told the Legislative Assembly in late July. Ports Minister Michael Lobo had said the possibility would be studied after conducting a survey of the location. Aguada Bay is located right where the Mandovi meets the sea outside Panaji.

Goa casinos receive another extension

Last week, it was reported that the state cabinet granted offshore casinos yet another six-month extension. There are currently five offshore casinos anchored in the Mandovi river and nine others at five-star hotels in Goa. A government spokesperson said that the Council of Ministers has decided to grant an extension of time limit to the offshore licensees in Goa for relocating casinos from the Mandovi river for six months.

The new extension starts tomorrow, October 1, and ends on March 31 or until an alternate feasible site is finalised. However, if the state manages to find a site before March 31, they could relocate before that date, IANS reported.