Casinos are now ‘fait accompli’ of Goa govt: Parrikar

Panaji, Sep 17 (PTI) In a major reversal of stand onthe casino industry, Union Defence Minister and former GoaChief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the industry cannotbe disturbed as they are the "fait accompli" of the BJP-ledstate government. Addressing a group of core party workers in Panajitoday in the presence of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar,he said the party had opposed the casinos in the 2007, butCongress government gave six licences. "We had opposed casinos in the year 2007, but Congressgave six licences and made casinos fait accompli of thegovernment that we formed in the year 2012," Parrikar said. "When someone invests in the business and if we stopthe business then investment don’t come," he said referring tothe investment in casinos. Parrikar further said that some things which areunacceptable at particular time, becomes acceptable with thetime. "In 1997, we were opposing Tata Estate (vehicleplanned to be purchased for ministers). But now we don’toppose even Innova…the situations do change," he said. Goa has six offshore casino vessels and dozen ofonshore ones, which are operating in five star hotel premises. The Congress has demanded that an opinion poll shouldbe held on the issue of casinos in the state. PTI RPS NP ASVBAS