<p>Offshore casinos parked in the Mandovi river off Panaji have once again been dragged into controversy, with both the Congress as well as a former Goa RSS sanghachalak promising to drive casinos out of the state capital, if voted to power. </p>.<p>Both candidates, in their poll manifestos, promised to do away with the casinos, which over the last decade have been the subject of political controversy. </p>.<p>“My promise to you is that I will remove the casinos from the Mandovi river 100 days after coming to power,” Atanasio Monserrate, Congress candidate for the May 19 Panaji assembly bypoll said in his election manifesto. </p>.<p>On Friday, Subhash Velingkar, a veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteer who is contesting the assembly bypoll on a Goa Suraksha Manch ticket, promised to drive away offshore casinos from Panaji’s shores. </p>.<p>"Casinos have destroyed the Panaji city, by their sheer presence and the social ills which they propagate. I promise to do away with them from the city. Casinos attract other vices like prostitution, extortion, drugs, etc,” Velingkar told <em>DH</em> on Friday. </p>.<p>The casino industry has much to do with the contemporary political history of Panaji. The first offshore casino licences were allotted in 1999, but under a Congress-led coalition regime from 2007-12, the casino industry, especially offshore casinos flourished. </p>.<p>At the time, late Manohar Parrikar as Opposition leader became the symbol of the anti-casino movement. His promise to driveway casinos from the state capital was one of the reasons which catapulted him to power in 2012. </p>.<p>Once in power, however, the Parrikar and subsequent BJP-led regimes from 2012-2019 saw bigger, larger casinos park themselves in the Mandovi river, with the Opposition now accusing Parrikar of being in league with the casino industry. </p>.<p>Currently, there are 17 casinos functioning from the numerous five-star resorts which dot the coastal state. Casinos, as an industry contributes around Rs. 500 crores in direct taxes and licence fees to the state exchequer.</p>
<p>Offshore casinos parked in the Mandovi river off Panaji have once again been dragged into controversy, with both the Congress as well as a former Goa RSS sanghachalak promising to drive casinos out of the state capital, if voted to power. </p>.<p>Both candidates, in their poll manifestos, promised to do away with the casinos, which over the last decade have been the subject of political controversy. </p>.<p>“My promise to you is that I will remove the casinos from the Mandovi river 100 days after coming to power,” Atanasio Monserrate, Congress candidate for the May 19 Panaji assembly bypoll said in his election manifesto. </p>.<p>On Friday, Subhash Velingkar, a veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteer who is contesting the assembly bypoll on a Goa Suraksha Manch ticket, promised to drive away offshore casinos from Panaji’s shores. </p>.<p>"Casinos have destroyed the Panaji city, by their sheer presence and the social ills which they propagate. I promise to do away with them from the city. Casinos attract other vices like prostitution, extortion, drugs, etc,” Velingkar told <em>DH</em> on Friday. </p>.<p>The casino industry has much to do with the contemporary political history of Panaji. The first offshore casino licences were allotted in 1999, but under a Congress-led coalition regime from 2007-12, the casino industry, especially offshore casinos flourished. </p>.<p>At the time, late Manohar Parrikar as Opposition leader became the symbol of the anti-casino movement. His promise to driveway casinos from the state capital was one of the reasons which catapulted him to power in 2012. </p>.<p>Once in power, however, the Parrikar and subsequent BJP-led regimes from 2012-2019 saw bigger, larger casinos park themselves in the Mandovi river, with the Opposition now accusing Parrikar of being in league with the casino industry. </p>.<p>Currently, there are 17 casinos functioning from the numerous five-star resorts which dot the coastal state. Casinos, as an industry contributes around Rs. 500 crores in direct taxes and licence fees to the state exchequer.</p>
