Delta Corporation Limited has reportedly made fresh bids to replace its old MV Arabian Sea King with MV Horseshoe Casino again. After the Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parriker had rejected permission to Horseshoe Casino in May 2013, Delta is trying again by moving an application with the State Home Department.
As learnt by OPN, the company has made an application with the office of the chief secretary, B Vijayan, who is also the state home secretary. It is learnt that this appeal could be a result of MV Horseshoe, on Thursday, receiving a no-objection certificate from the captain of ports (CoP) to operate and ply the vessel in the inland waters of Goa for a period of one year. This was however not confirmed by neither the CoP nor the company’s officials. It is also learnt that Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has also granted permission to Horseshoe Casino to operate though with certain conditions.
It may be recalled that MV Horseshoe had sailed into Goa Waters in the Mandovi River on May 26 this year. But it was denied permission by the Goa CM in June on the grounds that it didn’t have a permanent plying permission from CoP. It waits to be seen whether the CM’s office will let Horseshoe Casino start operations now since they have received permission from the CoP for an year.
It is worth mentioning here that on Thursday, after receiving the two permissions from CoP and GSPCB, the MV Horseshoe vessel was well lit, a first timer since the ship sailed in the Goa waters. If permission is granted to Horseshoe Casino then it would become the fourth offshore casino in Goa waters joining Casino Royale, Casino Pride and Casino Carnival.