No further extension and immediate shifting of offshore casino vessels from River Mandovi is going to be on the platter of the Common Minimum Programme of the BJP-led coalition government- which will be released soon.

Manohar Parrikar-led government last month granted further extension of six months to the off shore casino vessels to shift out of River Mandovi. The Government will be looking for an alternative site for their shifting. This is the third extension granted by the successive BJP government ever since they announced to make Mandovi free of casinos.

The alliance partner Independent MLA and Minister for Revenue Rohan Khaunte- the most local legislator against off shore casinos- will be now pressing for its shifting as part of CMP- the first meeting of which will be held on April 17.

“There are few points which I would be stressing to include in the Common minimum program which would be discussed during the meeting on April 17,” Khaunte, said.

He said one of the important issues would be to shift off shore casinos out of River Mandovi.  “There will be no compromise on shifting of casinos. The issue will be part of the Common minimum program which will be worked out between alliance partners in Manohar Parrikar-led government,” he said.

Khuante, who has been elected for the second time Goa Legislative Assembly, was in opposition during last tenure during which he had cornered State government on its failure to move casinos out of River Mandovi.

There are currently six off shore casinos operational in the River Mandovi.

For last one and half year Government has failed to shift these casinos, who are demanding that government should identify an alternate location for the shifting.

Team TNV