The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State may not ban lotteries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 19, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State may not ban lotteries

Staff Reporter

Mechanism to regulate their sale soon

BANGALORE: Minister for Planning, Small Savings and Lotteries Ramachandra Gowda said on Saturday that the State Government had no plans to ban lotteries, but it would come up with a mechanism to regulate and monitor their sale.

Mr. Ramachandra Gowda told presspersons here that he had plans to meet the Union Home Minister soon and seek the Centre's cooperation in sorting out the issue related to allowing lotteries from other States in Karnataka. The State had imposed a tax of Rs. 2 lakh on every draw of lottery run within the Government. But non-Karnataka lotteries were paying only Rs. 50,000. This had been questioned in the Supreme Court.

The Centre was not allowing the State to have a free hand on regulating lotteries. There were several worrisome aspects with regard to two-digit lotteries, which had to be addressed at the earliest, he added.

Mr. Ramachandra Gowda said the byelection to the Assembly from Chamundeshwari constituency would be a contest between the Congress and the coalition of Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. There was no doubt that Congress candidate Siddaramaiah would be trounced by the coalition, he added.

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