"By the time I complete four years, there will be no casino boat in Goa's waters," Parrikar said, adding that he might require one more year to complete get them out if there are any licencing obligations.
Goa has five offshore casino vessels anchored in River Mandovi and he said that there is no need to doubt the government's intention to remove offshore casinos from the river.
He said that the Goa government would not renew licences of offshore casinos after a certain cut-off date which would be decided by the government.
"We have not entertained any new application. Also one of the casinos which had applied to transfer its licence to another management was denied permission to do so. This is enough to indicate that we have no intention to encourage offshore casinos," Parrikar said.
When it was pointed out that another company, M/s Delta Corp, had sought permission to replace its old vessel with a new one, Parrikar feigned innocence on the issue.
"No file has come to me asking for replacement of the vessel. If the matter is put up before me, we will have to examine the matter, as the casino licence of the company is alive, although the vessel (mounted with gaming equipment) is not functional. I don't know what the legal provision in the matter is," Parrikar claimed.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app