It might not be a smooth sailing for off-shore casino vessel owned by Haryana’s controversial politician Gopal Kanda’s company Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited. The State Home Department and the Ports Administration are not too keen to allow its operations in Mandovi River, overlooking the Panaji city.

Secretariat sources confirm that Home Department has moved a file to chief minister’s office suggesting shifting the vessel to another site. It has expressed deep concern that the already congested River might be overloaded with the operations of this additional vessel.

Five off-shore casinos are already operating in River Mandovi, that also witnesses plying of entertainment cruise boats every evening and hundreds of fishing trawlers parked on the other end at Betim. Golden Globe’s offshore casino is the 6th vessel.

The government had a month ago renewed license of the vessel following directives by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court.

A division bench of the High Court comprising of Justices CV Bhadang and Anoop Mohta on March 8 had directed the government to consider renewal of the Golden Globe license within 24 hours. The directions was based on a petition filed by the company alleging that government was delaying license renewal despite paying the pending dues and license fees of over Rs 46 crores.

Unconfirmed reports state that the Gopal Kanda-led MDLR group is likely to either partner with or sell stake in its company to Essel Group that has been unsuccessfully trying to setup an offshore casino in Goa under the brand name of ‘Casino Maharaja.’

The Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet last month extended the deadline to relocate all offshore casinos to an alternate location. The six month deadline was yet another extension as the government  fail to locate a site since last 5 years. Anti casino lobby and coalition partners are demanding shifting the vessels.

Team TNV