Goa government to table casino policy in monsoon session

More than two decades after casinos were introduced in Goa, the Manohar Parrikar government will finally table a policy in the assembly's upcoming monsoon session to regulate the casino industry.

"The casino policy will be tabled in the monsoon session," Parrikar told reporters here.

The three-week monsoon session of the Goa Assembly begins on Tuesday.

There are five offshore casinos operating in the Mandovi river off Panaji, while about a dozen onshore casinos operate from the numerous five star resorts in the coastal state.

Commenting on the running aground of a new offshore casino vessel 'MV Lucky Seven' off Miramar beach in the state capital during a storm on Sunday, Parrikar said that he had issued instructions to ensure the vessel is taken to the Mormugao Port Trust, located in the port town of Vasco, around 40 km from Panaji.

"We cannot take the risk," Parrikar said when asked about the safety of the vessel which ran aground on Sunday morning.

--IANS

maya/amit/bg