Goa govt grants offshore casinos another 6 month extension
The Goa cabinet h𝐆as decided to grant yet i, where they are currently situated.
The decision was taken by the state cabinet through circulation. 🍌According to news reports, initially, a cabinet meeting was set to be held at ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s private residence, yesterday. However, the meeting was cancelled at the last minute without citing any reason and thereafter through circulation of papers.
According to the cabinet decision, offshore casinos will be given six more months, i.e.๊ time upto 30th September, 2019 to shift out of the Mandovi river. As per the decision, the casinos will have to submit an unconditional undertaking, that they will shift the casinos out of River Mandovi whenever an alternate feasible site is finalized by the government or by 30th September, 2019, whichever is earlier.
The plan to shift casinos out of the Mandovi river has been doing the rounds since August 2014 and the state ꦓgovern🍷ment has granted continuously granted six month extensions to casino companies to shift to an alternative location.
A similar decisionꦇ to grant a six-month extension to offshore casinos was taken by the Parrikar-led 🎃cabinet in September 2018.
In August 2018, Parrikar had informed the Goa legislative assembly that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government was working on a plan to unveil a new casino policy th🃏at would shift the offshore cas𓂃inos to a designated la🐓nd area within the state by the end of August 🉐2018.
The Chief Minister had further informed the house that 10-15 year licenses will be given to casino companies who shift their operations out of the River Mandovi, ke🔜eping in mind the large investment they would ꦫbe making to develop casino projects on land.
He had also stated that a gaming commissioner would be appointed soon to keep a watch on the casino operations. Further, he had given an assurance thaඣt from January 2019, Goans will not be allowed on casinos, as the Government intends to restrict the entry of locals.
Till date, the state go🎃vernment has been unable to notify and for🌸mulate the state’s casino policy and meet the timelines for implementing the changes in casino regulations, presumably due to Parrikar’s ailing health.
