From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
 
Panaji, Jul 31: Putting its foot down on the offshore casinos, Goa ports department on Thursday asked the floating casinos to furnish their original documents required for giving plying permission within 24 hours.
 
“All the offshore casino operators are asked to furnish their original documents which are prescribed by Director General (DG) Shipping for running such vessels,” Lyndon Monteiro, Officer on Special Duty to Captain of Ports, said.
 
The notices are fall out of the assurance given by state Ports minister, Fransisco Pacheco, to seal the activities on offshore casino as their permission to ply in Mandovi river water has expired.
 
Monteiro today said that all the offshore casinos have been asked to furnish the documents within 24 hours failing which the action would be initiated against these floating gambling vessels.
 
Goa has six offshore casino vessels, which are in news for wrong reasons. The opposition and few ruling legislators have begun extensively opposing these offshore casinos citing several irregularities in licences given to them.
 
Home and Ports ministry were at the receiving end as the former has licenced the casinos while latter had allowed the vessels to ply in its port limits.