One of the Casinos has its lounge cum sales counter on part of the ground floor of the Fisheries department building on Panaji’s D.B Marg. After having merrily defaced the premises, now as part of the further Casino promotion they are altering the entire frontage of the building itself and are carrying out the work despite being told by the Fisheries department officials not to commence work until necessary permissions are in place. The Mayor of Panaji who not long ago had led a raiding party of the CCP to check the violations by the Casinos is now conspicuous by his absence.
Nobody can be above the law but the reality is that in Goa the Casinos are a law to themselves. There is no Casino policy formulated yet and no Gaming Commissioner in place while the Casino vehicles are the only ones to be allowed to cheerfully park all along D.B.Marg which is a designated No Parking Road. The eye sore and inconvenience to the public and violations of regulations continues unabated, while the politicians in power who cry foul of casinos when in Opposition continue to fall prey to the greed of the rupee at a single roll of the dice.
Do we need any further evidence that it is the Casino Raj that rules the roost in India’s gambling hub?
