Goa politician urges white paper on casino industry

A former Goa RSS chief has demanded a white paper on the cost-benefit ratio of the casino industry.

India.- Former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar has accused the government of being too friendly with the casino industry. Velingkar is now demanding a white paper on the cost-benefit of the casino industry in Goa.

Velingkar issued on Monday a list of publicly articulated questions to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. He demanded a definite date for the move of the offshore casinos, which he believes should be outside the state capital. “Successive BJP governments in Goa have cheated the people vis-a-vis its assurances that the casino industry in Goa would be shut down,” Velingkar said.

“In the 2012 Assembly elections, the BJP made opposition to casinos as one of their key poll issues. When they came to power, the party threw the issue into the dustbin. (Late Chief Minister Manohar) Parrikar announced that by 2015, the casinos would be driven out of the Mandovi. People thought he would do it, but they were cheated once again because the casinos are still here,” he added.

“The Chief Minister needs to reply to our four questions. Why has no Gaming Commission been appointed for seven years to regulate gambling, by which date will the casinos be moved out of the Mandovi river, and where will they be relocated eventually,” Velingkar said.