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Goa gives offshore casinos green signal
Panjim: Floating casinos have been given the go- ahead by the Goa government despite political opposition. A policy allowing 10 floating casinos to operate offshore has been given the clearance by the state government. The first offshore casino in the country was set up in the year 2000 aboard the ship Caravela on Mandovi River in Goa. Former Chief Minister and leader of Opposition Manohar Parikkar has condemned the state governments move on grounds of giving rise to crime and prostitution and saying that it would encourage gambling-centric tourism, and has threatened to go on a mass agitation. Attacking the government that it was all set to issue licenses to the companies as a public notice in some local dailies announced that processing fees also had been paid by these companies.
Defending
the charge a senior bureaucrat said that the fees was only for processing
as the name suggested as was no guarantee that licenses would issued.
The former Portuguese colony is the only state in the country to allow
casinos to operate. However, opposition from the locals has limited gambling
to just one floating casino and some slot machines in five-star hotels.
It was confirmed by Government officials that they have received applications
from six reputed companies, which are under scrutiny. Special Secretary
(Home) Dilraj Kaur confirmed that several companies had applied for permission
to operate an offshore casino and that they were processing the applications
according to the set guidelines and that the government felt 10 would
suffice at the moment keeping the tourist traffic in mind. She also clarified
that this enterprise would add to the state revenue. There have also been
reports of the business community being behind a portal dedicated to gambling
coming up in 2007 and also hosting the countrys maiden Poker tournament
in Goa.
-Sept 1, 2006
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