News by our special correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (SP)
 
Panaji, Mar 23: Under immense pressure from the opposition benches, Goa tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco assured the state legislative assembly on Monday March 23, of withdrawing five star category certificates issued  to two hotels in the coastal belt.
 
Pacheco said that the tourism department will withdraw the five star category certificates issued to two projects – Hotel Reveira De Goa and Hotel La Calypso.
 
The minister was replying to a question during the state legislative assembly session which began this afternoon at Porvorim.
 
The five star category certificate issue was raked up by the BJP legislators, who pointed out that the department has no right to issue such a certificate and that the certificate was being used to host a casino in the hotel.
 
Pacheco said that Hotel Reveira De Goa was given the certificate on May 26, 2008 while La Calypso project got the certificate on November 19, 2008.
 
The reply tabled on the floor of the house mentioned that the tourism department gave the report that recommended the upgradation of both the hotels from B to A category. Pacheco conceded that the department’s committee does not have the power to recommend five star categories for hotels.