PTI

Panaji, Mar 4: Goa government has asked six off shore casinos to move away from the Mandovi river basin citing that these vessels are flouting licensing norms.

Captain of Ports A Mascarenhas sent notices to these casino operators this week and have directed them to shift their vessels, presently anchored in the narrow Mandovi river basin, to Aguada bay within next 15 days.

The state cabinet had last month decided to issue notices to these casinos following public outcry and campaign against them led by main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Goa is the only state to allow these off shore gambling dens which according to the licensing policy will have to operate five nautical miles from the shore.

While BJP has pointed out that some licences were given bending the rules, Goa's tourism minister and NCP legislator Fransisco Alias Miccky Pacheco pointed out that the vessels were polluting Mandovi river water by releasing sewage into it.

Pacheco also expressed his displeasure over the illegal operations carried out by these vessels.