Goa is turning into a ‘sin city’, State Congress president luizinho Faleiro has warned as he challenged the ruling party to remove the offshore boats as they had promised prior to last elections.
“Successive Governments including those of the Congress and the BJP have promoted casinos, thinking it would help tourism… But casinos have now turned Goa into sin city, a place of vice. The casinos have ruined Goa’s reputation,” Faleiro said.
Faleiro, also a part of the Congress Working Committee, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Congress State Executive Committee meeting in Panaji on Saturday. He said that the Congress party workers will fan out in the State’s villages to judge the mood of the people on the issue and accordingly make it an issue for the 2017 Assembly elections. “The party workers will deliberate on the issue in village meetings. The final decision on casinos will be taken after two weeks,” Faleiro added.
Faleiro has admitted that in the short term, Goa will stand to lose out on revenue to the tune of `185 crore that it earns from the industry annually.
“Shutting down casinos will affect the Government revenue in the short term, but this revenue comes at a price in the form of social decay and disruption of Goa’s image,” Faleiro said.
Goa has four operational off shore casinos run by two groups — the Deltin Group as well as the Pride Group, besides several other casinos that function within five star in the hotels in the State. Goa is one of the very few States in India, where casino gambling is legal.
The issue of removal of casinos from the River Mandovi is raised by all political parties ahead of the elections, but successive Governments have only paid lip service to having them removed from the waters in Goa. Ahead of the 2012 State Assembly poll the BJP led by Manohar Parrikar had led a sustained campaign against the casino industry, had promised that if voted to power, its Government would rid the Mandovi of the casinos.
When he was leader of the Opposition, Manohar Parrikar, who in 2012 went on to become Chief Minister, had even issued the Congress Government an ultimatum to have the boats removed within one month. However, when they came to power, the party initally promised to remove the powers before their term ends, only to renege on its promise citing ‘investor sentiment’ and the employment opportunities that the industry offers.
Faleiro lost no opportunity at hitting out at the Government for its ‘U-turn’. “It has been three years now, what happened to BJP’s promise. If the BJP wants help to do away with casinos from Goa, the Congress is willing to help it now,” Faleiro said.