SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government is yet to make up its mind on reviving the online lottery in the State.
Having had an unpleasant experience with the earlier online lottery system in the State, the government is now exercising caution to avoid any similar catastrophe.
Official sources on Monday informed that the Government was undecided on reviving the online lottery.
According to the sources, the Government was quite keen on reviving the online lottery two years back.
“The Government was looking for a new option after the ten-year deal it had signed with MS Associates to operate the online lottery in the State ended on August 22, 2012. But now the Government is going slow on the matter,” the sources said.
With the State facing huge revenue losses due to the failure of the earlier lottery deal, official sources said that the Government was now looking to take all necessary precautions to avoid a similar outcome.
“We are presently analysing the lapses which were there in the previous deal which had allowed the private firm to manipulate the clauses in the agreement by delaying the payment of the dues to the Government. This time we would be incorporating more stringent clauses in the fresh agreement,” the sources said.
Meanwhile, a senior government official informed that the Centre has come out with the new Lottery (Regulation) Rules, 2010.
“We would have to formulate the new agreement in accordance with the Lottery (Regulation) Rules, 2010,” the official said.
It may be reminded that in 2001, the Meghalaya Government had signed an agreement with MS Associates to conduct the online lottery with a guaranteed amount of Rs 3 crore to the government in the first year.
However, after protests from the pressure groups and the Opposition the agreement was amended in 2002 under which the company had to pay not less than Rs 12 crore a year and it could conduct not less than 4,000 draws per year. In October 2004 MS associates asked the State government to reduce the minimum guaranteed amount from Rs 12 crore to Rs 6 crore per year. Later in 2005, the company arbitrarily stopped its online lottery business in the State.
According to the audit report of the CAG, during the four years of operation from 2002 to 2005, the distributor was liable to pay Rs 54.08 crore according to the terms of the agreement with the Meghalaya government. But the company had paid only Rs 19 crore leaving a balance of Rs 35.08 crore.