JOIN USPeople have already branded Goa as 'casino capital' of India: Minister
The central government may consider branding Goa as the 'casino capital' of India, but the coastal state which is only one of the two states in the country to legalise casinos has already been unofficially dubbed as the 'casino capital' by people, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishen Reddy said on Saturday.
Reddy who was in Goa on a two-day visit, also said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had formed a special team to probe illegalities involved in the construction of a controversial bungalow in the protected Old Goa area, constructed by BJP national spokesperson Shaina NC's husband Manish Munot and the spouse of a local politician.
“The people have given that title. We do not need to give a title. People are flocking to Sikkim, the other is here. People have declared this is the casino capital. There is no need (for the government) to do it,” Reddy said to a question from a media person who asked if the Union Tourism Ministry had plans to brand Goa as the 'casino capital' of India.
Goa, one of the leading beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country, along with Sikkim is one of the two Indian states to promote legalised casinos. The coastal state has five offshore and around 10 onshore casinos, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Casino operations had been shut down in wake of the second Covid wave, but have resumed since September this year.
Reddy also said that the central government would consider branding Goa as the 'casino capital' of the country if Goa stood to benefit from the moniker.
Commenting on the ongoing controversy surrounding an illegal bungalow located in the protected heritage zone at Old Goa, which is home to 17th-century churches, Reddy said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a central government agency that functions under the Union Ministry of Culture, had formed a team to probe the illegalities.
"They have constructed without ASI permission. We will take action. This is wrong. Enquiry is on. I have asked the ASI to form a special team to enquire. We will definitely take action on behalf of ASI," Reddy said.
Reddy's comment comes a day after Archbishop Fr. Filipe Neri Ferrao had come down heavily on government agencies that facilitated the construction of the illegal bungalow, describing such developments as "obnoxious".
The Archbishop also said that such unregulated activities could lead to the 17th-century church complex losing its world heritage status bestowed upon it by UNESCO.
The controversy surrounding the construction of the allegedly illegal bungalow, located near the St. Cajetan Church in Old Goa erupted some months back and protests are peaking ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls.
With protests rapidly gathering pace, the state Town and Country Planning Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar has said that the permissions and licences for constructing the structure were illegally obtained, even as the local village panchayat has now revoked permissions for the projects and served the original owner of the land where the construction has been carried out, with a show-cause notice.
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