Goa Election Results Weigh Heavy For Casinos

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  • PG News February 24, 2017
  • 2 Minutes Read

Pressure continues to mount for Goa casinos, as the outcome of the current elections will play a major role in deciding their fate. In a latest salvo, the Congress has announced that if they gain power, alcohol licenses for the offshore casinos would not be renewed. Meanwhile, due the election code, the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) is unable to grant a license to the pending sixth casino and this will now be done only after election results are released on March 11.

 

Congress Promises

Banning casinos was one of the major promises by the Congress in its election manifesto and now, Girish Chodankar, Secretary, AICC told reporters, “Once we form the government, I assure you we will not renew the excise licenses of the offshore casino vessels once they expire on March 31.

He further stated that this step would be implemented after taking all legal precautions so that, “the casino operators don’t challenge our decision in the court.”

 

Sixth Casino License

The elections have also stalled the granting of license to the sixth casino, owned by former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda’s company, Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd. The file for the license was duly sent from Laxmikant Parsekar’s, (CM) office to the Attorney General and is now back for signing.

However, since the election code of conduct is in force, the CM’s office has deferred the decision. “We are examining the file. A decision can be taken only after the code is lifted.

The fate of this sixth casino, as well as the other operating ones will now be in the hands of whichever party that comes to power. The BJP has continuously supported the operators on the basis of the industry being a revenue-bringer, but most other parties have only decried the casinos, promising to eradicate ‘casino culture’ in the state.

Interestingly though, the above Congress statement only speaks of ‘excise licenses’ and not of operations that mark the March 31 deadline, which can mean that they too may have been deriding the casinos only to gain votes and may sing a different tune, once in power.

Written by: Shyamala Gauri

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