SHILLONG: The state government has decided to revive lottery after a gap of 12 years and hopes to build a strong brand to compete with other states.
The Cabinet on Tuesday gave a go-ahead to the proposal of the Excise Registration Taxation Stamps Department to start operating lottery.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the department has notified the new rules based on the format laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2010.
The Cabinet, however, told the department that it should ensure that its brand should be built in a way to compete with those in other states.
Admitting that the past experience of online lottery was not pleasant, Sangma said earlier only the minimum guaranteed revenue was coming to the state exchequer. This time, distributors will have the responsibility of brand building.
The functioning of lottery will be done through a national bidding. Also, the minimum rate has been fixed at Rs 10,000 as against the earlier minimum draws of Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000.
In 2001, the government had signed an agreement with MS Associates to conduct online lottery with a guaranteed amount of Rs 3 crore to the government in the first year.
However, after protests by pressure groups and the Opposition, the agreement was amended in 2002 under which the company had to pay not less than Rs 12 crore and it could conduct not less than 4,000 draws per annum.
In October 2004, MS Associates asked the state government to reduce the minimum guaranteed amount to Rs 6 crore. Later in 2005, the company stopped its online lottery business in the state.
