CCP cracks down on casino’s footpath encroachments

PANAJI: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Friday went into an overdrive as it tried to clampdown on encroachments by offshore casinos in the capital. CCP’s move to demolish encroachments led to a war of words between CCP mayor Uday Madkaikar and staff of Big Daddy casino.
Madkaikar, accompanied by a few councillors and CCP staff, ordered the removal of signboards and lights that the casino had erected along the footpath and on the trees. He said that the crackdown and demolition was driven by repeated complaints from local residents.
“People said that tables were being put up and that people were sitting outside. I personally inspected the site at night and found that the trees had been nailed and lights fixed on them and all this without permission,” Madkaikar said.
“Without permission, lights have been put up and we have now taken them down. We will send a legal notice and action will be taken against them,” the mayor said.
According to CCP officials, Big Daddy casino encroached onto the footpath by building steps at the entrance to the reception area. The casino operator had also failed to pay signboard tax to the corporation, Madkaikar said. A CCP official, citing a demand notice issued, said that the operators of the offshore casino owed Rs 12 lakh in taxes to CCP.
The demolition would have been implemented smoothly if an employee of the casino had not to confront Madkaikar. The employee challenged Madkaikar’s authority to demolish the steps and also began to take a video of the women councillors, which escalated the already tense situation. “They were abusing us. They were recording videos of the women councillors,” Madkaikar said.
CCP officials also inspected the entrances to other offshore casinos, but found no violations. “We are measuring them and we will assess the taxes due. We are going to measure all the casino signboards and we will check if they have paid the correct tax,” Madkaikar said.