Parrikar says Casino policy will be passed in monsoon session

Panaji, Jul 17: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the state government will "have the casino policy passed" during the monsoon session of the Assembly.

"We will have the casino policy passed during the session," Parrikar told reporters here, without elaborating further. Casinos in the coastal state are governed by the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976.

The chief minister was responding to a question about off shore casino vessel MV Lucky 7 which has got stuck at Aguada sandbar for the last two days. Parrikar said the ship would be towed back to Mormugao Harbour.

"We had told them (Golden Globe Pvt Ltd, the ship's owner) that you won't be able to come to Mandovi river due to weather conditions," the chief minister said. The company had earlier moved the Bombay High Court when the government refused to renew its casino license.

Parrikar said the company stated before the HC that it would be able to take the ship into the river despite the adverse weather, so the government allowed it to move.

PTI