The suspect move by the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) to keep on hold the renewals of the offshore Casino trade licences is a stunt that will not fool anyone. The CCP could have proved its bonafides by rejecting the renewal applications as the Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate who controls the CCP had last year publicly promised that he would remove the Casinos from the River Mandovi within 100 days.
The scam ridden CCP by keeping those applications pending has only left room for negotiations before the deal is sealed. There is also a possibility that the Casino operators may move the High Court and if that happens the CCP will have the excuse to say that the licences were renewed on directions of the High Court. We all still remember how on May 31st last year MLA Babush Monserrate, Mayor Uday Madkaikar led a farcical CCP team to demolish the illegal encroachments by the a Casino at the Panaji Jetty but there was no follow up action. With Babush Monserrate being in the ruling party, he should have lived up to the promise given to the people of Panaji by getting the Government to officially decide on removing the Casinos from the River Mandovi and resolve this issue once and for all. While as Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar had vociferously branded Casinos as a “social evil” and had called them "dens of vice". While spearheading that agitation against Casinos, Manohar Parrikar had vowed to make sure that all Casinos were thrown out of Goa if the BJP came to power. But in a dramatic U turn in March 2012 after coming to Power, the BJP has gone all out to promote, shield and even increase the number of Casinos. And now Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has publicly stated that Casinos are a very integral and vital part of Goa’s Tourism trade. The question that people will continue to ask is how Casinos, a great social evil once condemned by the BJP Government of Manohar Parrikar is now regarded as a cash cow of the Tourism industry and of the State. Is it that the government of Pramod Sawant is now milking the same cash cow that has prompted Babush and others to now break the solemn promises they made purely for their personal interests? They may think that that taking a chance or a gamble with peoples’ lives and trust is as easy as rolling a dice but the people of Goa are not as naïve as they think. They will never forgive a MLA and Government who deliberately sought to solicit their votes knowing full well that they were making empty promises to fool the masses. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
