Will move casinos out of Mandovi in next 3 years, claims Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. (File)

Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho on Sunday said the state government is committed to move casinos out of Mandovi river and claimed that it would be done in the next three years. Godinho said there would not be a single casino in Mandovi down the line three years and the government will execute it through a policy. “The BJP government is committed to remove casinos from Mandovi river. You will see that three years down the line there will not be any casino there,” he told a press conference at Panaji on Sunday.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had told the state legislative assembly in the recently concluded monsoon session that the vessels would be moved out of Mandovi by adopting a policy. When asked about where the casinos would be relocated in the near future, he said government is working out various alternatives and solutions to decide about it.

“The decision will be taken in consultation with the stakeholders,” he said. Godinho, a former Congress leader, charged that it was the opposition party which brought casinos to the state.

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“Congress brought casinos to Goa and are now wanting them to be removed,” he said. The minister alleged that scams like land allotment to Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or be it rise of drug trade in the state, it all began during the previous Congress regime.

“We are committed to get rid of the drug menace. We are concern about our youth. It is a serious issue and every BJP member and its coalition MLAs want to make Goa free from drugs,” he said.