Standing firm in its resolve to support the agitation against Hotel Leela’s offshore casino in South Goa, the Catholic church insisted that the vessel be ordered out of the river for obstructing traditional fishing activity there.
Making an official statement, the Council for Social Justice and Peace said the mini fishing harbour at River Sal, where the Leela group has anchored its vessel, sustained the livelihoods of a large number of people. “The yacht is anchored only 15 metres away from the jetty, causing great obstruction to the 300-odd fishing craft that ply in and out of the river,” it said. The villagers have strongly resisted the hotel’s move to desilt the river to facilitate the movement of its yacht.

Hotel Leela on the other hand, made no attempt to mask its disappointment with the state government’s handling of the issue, saying it would send out wrong signals to investors in Goa’s tourism industry. The Leela insists that its offshore casino licence simply says that its vessel could ply in Goa’s territorial waters.  

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Shakti Prasad, Leela’s administration head, said he expected the Goa government to fulfil its “contractual and legal” obligations. “We were granted a licence for Rs 5 crore. We spent another Rs 4.6 crore to set up land-based infrastructure like the floating jetty, besides the vessel cost,” he said.