PORVORIM: The casino policy for the state is in its final stages and it will pave the way for casinos, both offshore and onshore to be shifted to Mopa near the under-construction international airport. Transport minister Ramakrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar on Wednesday informed the House that the casinos would be given the opportunity to shift to Mopa where an exclusive entertainment zone has been earmarked."Casinos can shift to the entertainment area at the airport area. We have made a separate entertainment area where they can go if they want. The draft casino policy is also ready," said Dhavalikar, who is the leader of the house in the absence of chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Dhavalikar was responding to the debate in the assembly where the opposition benches questioned the government on various issues.Refuting statements that quality of life and development was not happening in South Goa, Dhavalikar, in his reply, pointed out that the central government has approved a project to clean pollution of River Sal at Navelim at an estimated cost of Rs 61 crore. "This river has to be cleaned. Goa has received the first tranche of the money that has been sanctioned and the work has also started," the minister said.He went on to state that the sewage treatment plant had already been built at Navelim. "Those sewage pipelines that we had to lay to prevent the sewage from flowing into the river's tributaries, those are being laid. Fatorda constituency is one of the beneficiaries because we have decided to have the sewerage system there," Dhavalikar said. Congress MLAs also raised the issue of road safety and the government's failure to implement a comprehensive traffic management plan for Goa. "Traffic management plan can come only once all our roads are four lanes and when our national highways are four lanes. Also, when our rural roads will become major district roads," Dhavalikar said.He added that a consultant had already been appointed to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan under the AMRUT scheme for the state. He added that the Centre's Sagarmala and Bharatmala schemes were being implemented in the state."I am confident, that if Sagarmala and Bharatmala are implemented properly, then there will be a change in Goa. Around Rs 6,000 crores under Bharatmala and Rs 100 crores under Sagarmala for jetties have been received for the state," he said.Responding to charges by MLAs that the current government was not concerned about the poor in the state, Dhavalikar said, "Our government is committed towards development of infrastructure, to support poor sections of the people and to introduce new schemes for the poor." The minister assured MLAs that the benefits of all the social security schemes would flow to deserving individuals.

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