Liquor, casinos too have place on Goa tourist map: Deputy CM Francis D'Souza

Goa Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza on Saturday said the coastal state is a place for liquor and casinos along with other tourist attractions and maintained the casino industry is generating revenue for the government.

"Goa is a place for liquor, sun, sand, dance. It is also known for casinos, pilgrimage tourism, honeymoon destination, hinterland tourism and as Electronic Dance music (EDM) destination," D'Souza said here. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of national summit on `Smart Cities in Era of Digital India' organized by Goa government.

Responding to a question on labelling the coastal state as a casino destination, D'Souza said "Goa is not known just for one thing. Casino is not the only reason for tourists to visit the state." The BJP leader said there are several reasons for tourists to come to Goa. "Casino industry is helping the state government earn revenue. If we didn't want it why did we allow it at the first place?" the Deputy Chief Minister asked.

Drug trade and prostitution have given a bad name to Goa but these possibles can not be solved overnight, he maintained. 

Goa has four off-shore and more than a dozen on-shore casinos. BJP had promised to shift the off-shore casinos from river Mandovi during its 2012 Goa Assembly campaign, but it is yet to act on the promise.

Opposition parties have criticised the BJP-led

government for failure to fulfil its pre-poll promise.