Rupesh Samant

Panaji, May 2: Former State Minister and Congress candidate in Panaji by-election Atanasio Monserratte has vowed to remove off shore casino vessels from River Mandovi, within hundred days of he getting elected as Member of Legislative Assembly.

Monserratte has made removal of off-shore casinos from River Mandovi, near Panaji City, as one of his poll plank. The former minister said that he would shift live gaming into five star hotels from the off shore vessels.

“You give me a verdict in Panaji, you give me hundred days time, I will remove the casinos from River Mandovi,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“I am not saying that I will wipe out entirely the business of Casinos. They can continue live gaming in five star hotels, which is currently allowed only on off shore casinos,” he said.

Monserratte, the former State Education minister, said that he would remove all the casinos from River Mandovi.

There are six off shore casinos anchored in River Mandovi, which have been facing opposition from certain quarters due to traffic congestion they create in the city and also for obstructing navigational channel.

Monserratte said that he would have amendment to Goa Gambling Act which will allow live casinos to operate from a five star hotel.

The former minister, who was expelled from Congress party two years back, said that he lost 2017 Assembly election from Panaji constituency as an Independent candidate, due to trust deficit that voters had on him.

He said that the people wanted him to contest on a party ticket, and Congress party has welcomed him once again.

“As far as congress party is concerned, I was aligned with congress party. I believed in the party. Congress party threw me out. I never left it. So now, I am back in the congress,” he said.

“When I was going around in the constituency this time, I found there was a trust deficit like last time. They wanted me to join the party,” he added.