Manohar Parrikar to Contest Against Girish Chodankar in Goa By-Election; Govt to Examine Whether Cash Transactions Can Be Prohibited in Casinos

Manohar Parrikar
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  • PG News August 5, 2017
  • 2 Minutes Read

The Goa casinos imbroglio continues and it is literally ironic that in spite of being a proven money-spinner, in terms of foreign influx and entertainment hubs, Goa Casinos have consistently been facing immense criticism from several detractors, such as the opposition, independent MLAs and the local organizations. To make matters worse, the chief decision makers oscillate wildly and have been repeatedly pointing out its intentions to move the offshore casinos out of river Mandovi.

Goa is back in the news again, with politicians treating the state as a political pawn to be manipulated for the slightest of reasons.

The battle lines were drawn when Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (cover image) filed his nomination for the August 23 by-election from the Panaji Assembly seat. He will contest against Rahul Gandhi’s confidante Girish Chodankar of Congress.

Parrikar had represented the Panaji seat in the state assembly from 1994 till 2014 before moving to the Centre. He quit as Defense Minister to return as the CM of the coastal state this year in March.

Though the Congress emerged as the single largest party after the Assembly polls in February, the BJP, with the support of the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and other independents, formed an alliance and the government under Parrikar’s leadership.

Parrikar had the choice to contest either from Curchorem or Panaji constituency and he chose the latter, which has been his old bastion.

While Parrikar said that development of the constituency and the state as a whole is his main agenda, Chodankar said that his party will raise the issue of offshore casinos as a major poll plank during the campaigning. He said that their stand on offshore casino vessels is very clear that they should move out of the river Mandovi.

Speaking to reporters at the party office, he said, “It has already destroyed a number of families. It has totally polluted river Mandovi.”

Alleging that BJP-led government had been helping the “casino lobby”, Chodankar added, “Casinos have been an ATM of BJP government for the last five years.”

He said that due to the U-turn of the current government on the issue, they were reduced to mere 13 legislators in 2017 from their strength of 21.

He even accused the BJP-led government of manipulating system to give casino licenses one after another.

In a written reply to a question tabled in the State Legislative Assembly by Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, Parrikar said, “The subject matter of cashless transactions does not come under the purview of Home Department. However, the issue will be examined as per the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976 and rules framed there under.”

However, the CM stated that the government will keep the casino operations under check and will examine whether casino operators in the state can be instructed to prohibit all cash transactions.

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