Bangalore: Despite ban, single digit lottery thriving in state, claims JD(S)
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Sep 20: Despite the ban on the single digit lottery in Karnataka five years ago, unauthorised single-digit lottery business was thriving to the glee of habitual gamblers, claimed JD(S) opposition leader in the Assembly H D Kumaraswamy, who said several low-income families were falling prey to the menace.
Kumaraswamy demanded a complete crackdown single-digit lottery business in the State if the poor people were to be saved from the menace.
Addressing a news conference in Bangalore on Friday, the JD(S) leader alleged that the gamblers have developed a state-wide network through cell phones and were selling tickets .
The State Government has taken the issue raised by him "lightly,” the JD(S) leader alleged.
He said the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pleaded ignorance about illegal sale of lotteries in Ramanagaram and other parts of the State while Home Minister K J George dismissed it as "rumours.”
But the Home Minister had directed the police to conduct a probe, he said adding it had not been taken up seriously.
Promoters of this lottery even publish the results in some local publications and also send results through cell phones via SMS. They
sell fake tickets, cheating the public, he said.
If the Home Minister was not able to stop the lottery menace, he should tender his resignation.
Kumaraswamy said the JD(S)-BJP government had banned the single-digit lottery in the State in 2006.
The JD(S) leader said corruption was rampant in transfers of engineers in the PWD department and the Congress government continued to issue transfer orders violating the rules framed by it.
"The Government has fixed transfer rate at Rs 2-3 crore for Chief Engineers in the PWD headed by Minister H C Mahadevappa,” he said.
He alleged that large-scale transfers are being made, particularly in Revenue department and PWD.
Even the officials in the Secretariat and ordinary people were speaking about the level of corruption in the Congress government and comparing it to the previous BJP Government.
"Why the Chief Minister, who has taken an oath in the name of truth, is tight-lipped about rampant corruption in transfer of officials?,” he asked.