Reis Magos villagers oppose new casino vessel in Mandovi

Calangute: Reis Magos gram sabha on Sunday witnessed uproar over a proposal by a leading casino operator to replace an existing off-shore casino vessel with a new 112m-long boat in the Mandovi river close to the shore near Reis Magos.A large number of villagers said they would take a morcha to the captain of ports (CoP) office in Panaji if the permission of the casino vessel is not revoked. Villagers said the new casino would affect local fishermen and claimed that they have not benefited in any way from the casino operator that has a huge resort in Nerul, which neighbours Reis Magos.Saligao MLA Kedar Naik, who was present, said he understands the sentiments of villagers and would write to the CoP that the people are opposed to the replacement of the existing casino vessel with a bigger one. “Recently, about one month ago, when villagers informed me about dredging in the Mandovi river, I personally went to the dredging spot in a canoe and stopped them,” he said.The casino firm recently announced that the new vessel would be brought to the Mandovi river in April. The dredging was said to have been done for the new casino vessel.Sarpanch Sushmita Pednekar said they are with the people and would write to the authorities to convey the sentiments of the gram sabha. “We will place the issue before the panchayat meeting and take a resolution and write to govt,” she said.Locals also raised the issue of mega housing projects coming up in the village and urged the panchayat to stop giving construction licences for more projects. The local MLA Naik said that a big housing project, which had been earlier approved for 600 flats, has been reduced to around 50 villas. “We understand the sentiments of the people because the village demography would change as 600 flats means 2,400 new people. It has been reduced,” he said.He also denied that there are plans for a marina along the Reis Magos-Nerul shoreline. “There is no such proposal,” he said, after villagers voiced their opposition to any such proposal.