By Marcellus D’Souza
Apr 29: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has restrained Casino and Floatel Deltin Carevela from conducting its operation on the Mandovi River, Goa unless it has Costal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance with immediate effect.
NGT had directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to assess and recover compensation for damage to the environment on account of operations of the project proponent with the requite CRZ clearance.
The NGT said after the money was recovered, following the due process of law, the same shall be utilised to restore the environment by preparing an action plan.
On December 1, 2015, Delta Corp Limited announced that it had been granted a license to operate a casino at its Deltin Suite in Goa. On April 6, 2016, the Government of Goa extended the company's offshore casino license to operate casinos on the Mandovi River until 31 March 2017. Deltin owns three offshore casinos in Goa, making it a dominant player there. It also owns a number of casinos in Goa, namely Deltin Royale, Deltin JAQK, Deltin Caravela and one luxury hotel, Deltin Suites.
In March 2014, the company launched The Deltin a Rupees 4,000,000,000 property which is India's largest integrated casino resort in Daman, named as ‘The Deltin’. Since these casino gaming vessels are anchored on Mandovi River in Goa, Delta Corp has acquired jetties (Betim, Reis Magos, Barcolento) and six feeder boats in order to ferry its customers from the main land to the offshore casinos.
Deltin Caravela (Casino Goa) has 217 gaming positions, spread across 25,000 sq. ft. The company plans to upgrade the casino to a newer vessel. Deltin Caravela happens to be the smallest of the three offshore casinos operated by the Delta Corp in Goa.
Delta Corp has a Rupees 1.5K Crore investment for an integrated resort in Pernem.
The gaming conglomerate estimates an investment of between ?1,000 to ?1,500 Crores to develop its proposed integrated resort over 100 acres of land close to Mopa Airport at Pernem. The resort should be ready for business in five years. Once it does, with a modern layout packed with electronic casinos, water parks, themed hotels, and theatres, Delta Corp will become a very dominant operator in Goa’s casino business. The company received in-principle approval from the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board to set up an integrated resort at Pernem.
The ambitious plans have been in the making for some time now. Last October-end, 2020, Delta Corp acquired a 45% stake in the Waterways Shipyard Pvt. Ltd, located in Udupi, Karnataka for Rupees 15.5 Crores via its subsidiary, Delta Pleasure Cruise Co.