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Goa lost Rs 24,000 cr due to cash deals, revenue leaks at casinos: Congress

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Panaji, Nov 5 (IANS) A day after a Goa Minister hinted at setting up casinos on a strip of land near Panaji, the Congress on Monday demanded a probe into the casino industry operating in the coastal state.

The Congress alleged that casino operations were a strictly cash affair, and ran counter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of cashless transactions.

Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar also alleged that the state government was losing Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore every year due to revenue leakages from the casino industry, adding that the Congress was against the casino industry in the tourist state.

“The Prime Minister calls for e-transactions and using less cash. But the entire casino industry is running on cash. 90 per cent is in cash transactions, which are never shown on their books. Their computer system is such that if there is a transaction of Rs 1 lakh, it will show as only Rs 10,000. It is automatic. The DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) should raid, the Income Tax should raid and check,” Chodankar said.

On Sunday, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai had backed the concept of offshore casinos being moved to a strip of land near Panaji, on the lines of the casinos at the Hong Kong harbour.

Because of this revenue system, because there is no check on what is happening inside the casinos, the state government has lost Rs 24,000 crore in revenues since 2012.

Currently, there are six offshore casinos anchored and operating from the Mandovi river off Panaji, while there are about nine onshore casinos that function out of the numerous five-star resorts that dot the state.

When in the opposition during 2007-2012, the BJP had opposed casino operations in Goa, licences for most of which had been granted by the previous Congress-led coalition governments.

Top BJP leaders, including Parrikar, had on several occasions vowed to shut down the offshore casino industry once the saffron party came to power.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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