Feature
Government launches survey to assess Swachch Bharat Mission progress
New Delhi : Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday launched a survey here to assess and rank cities and towns based on levels of sanitation and efforts made by the urban local bodies.
The Swachh Survekshan 2017 is the second survey since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission in October 2014.
“While the last round of survey was conducted among 73 cities with a population of 10 lakh and above each, this second round of survey will cover 500 cities and towns,” Naidu said.
The survey will include urban areas with a population of one lakh and above each, capital towns with less than one lakh population, and towns of importance from the point of view of heritage, tourism and hilly locations, etc.
Naidu said since the first Swachh Survekshan Survey, 115 cities have become open defecation-free (ODF) and another 793 cities and towns are set to become so by March next year. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are expected to become ODF by March, 2017.
The minister released various publications and mobile applications to help the 500 cities and towns prepare for the survey to be conducted in January next year.
He addressed, via video conferencing, the Mayors, Municipal Chairpersons, Municipal Commissioners and other officials of the cities and towns to be surveyed.
He said cities will be ranked based on the reports by urban local bodies on the progress made towards construction of toilets, feedback of citizens and independent observation of sanitation levels.
Since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission in October 2014, construction of 21 lakh household toilets has been completed and construction of another 21 lakh toilets is in progress, Naidu said.
The mission target in this regard is construction of 1.04 crore toilets by 2019.
Naidu launched a Swachhta mobile app and Swachhta helpline (1969) to enable citizens to participate more effectively and actively in the Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas.
Citizens can post photos of unhygienic places in urban areas on Swachh App and they will be informed of action taken by the respective urban local bodies in a specific time period.
Using toll free helpline number 1969, citizens can seek information about the ways of participating in the cleanliness mission and can also enquire about the status of their applications for construction of toilets.
The minister also launched ‘Asli Tarakki’ campaign highlighting the need for construction of toilets and using them.
Naidu felicitated three sanitation workers for their exemplary contribution to ensure cleanliness in their respective cities.
They are T. Venkataiah, a garbage collector of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, for working without taking any leave for 16 years; N. Gaurav of Guwahati Municipal Corporation for a similar commitment; and B. Nagaraj of Coimbatore Municipal Corporation for his sincerity to the cause and contributing Rs 50,000 for the education of poor children.
The Quality Council of India, which conducted the last survey in 73 cities, will conduct the survey in 500 cities and towns.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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