Feature
Delhi markets may shut, only 50 people in capital weddings
Amid unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that markets may be shut once again as a precautionary measure and only 50 people will be allowed in weddings not 200, as per strict norms aimed at curbing further spread of the Coronavirus.
Kejriwal was speaking to the media here two days after he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue following an unprecedented record single-day spike of 8,500 cases and overall, 51,000 cases last week.
In view of the record spike in infection, Kejriwal said the Delhi government has sent a proposal to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to permit only 50 people to attend wedding functions from here on, as against the earlier limit of 200.
The Aam Aadmi Party government has also proposed lockdowns of local market places that might emerge as Covid hotspots, The proposal has been sent to the Centre, the Chief Minister said.
“Following the central government’s guidelines and considering the marriage season, the Delhi government earlier allowed 200 guests at marriage functions. Earlier too, during initial lockdown periods only 50 guests were allowed before relaxing it to 200.
“Now considering the recent spike in the number of Corona cases, the Delhi government has decided to withdraw that relaxation.”
The Chief Minister also talked about the massive crowds witnessed in some of the popular markets of Delhi before Diwali.
In these markets, Kejriwal said, no social distancing was maintained, due to which the number of Covid-19 cases surged.
In the last order passed by the Central government, Kejriwal said, it was noted that permission to impose local lockdowns should be taken by the states.
In view of the recent situation and considering the last order of the Central government, the AAP national convenor said the Delhi government has requested the Center to permit shutting down market places if necessary.
“I do believe that such harsh measures would not be required. But, if any marketplace has become a Corona hotspot due to the non-adhering of guidelines such as no social distancing or wearing of masks, we would have to impose a local lockdown in those areas as a precautionary measure. I have already sent this proposal to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for approval.
“You can also see how all the governments are working hand-in-hand to tackle the Covid-19 situation of Delhi. I am specifically very much thankful to the central government for coming forward and helping the citizens of Delhi in this crucial time,” Kejriwal said.
Noting that there are sufficient number of corona beds but there was a dearth of ICU beds, the Chief Minister thanked the central government’s promise to provide 750 ICU beds to Delhi.
Appealed to the people here to wear masks and follow social distancing norms to protect themselves from the pandemic.
He sought the support of every city dweller here as Delhi recorded nearly 4,000 cases on Monday despite efforts of various government agencies.
“Central government, Delhi government, AIIMS, ICMR, DRDO and all the agencies are working together to tackle the corona situation of the capital. But we would not be able to combat the situation without the help of the citizens. I appeal to all of you to wear masks and follow social distancing for your family’s health.”
Kejriwal slammed people who continue to believe that they would not be affected by Covid, saying “this is a misunderstanding because the disease does not affect anybody based on whether they are rich or poor, and does not classify any person. Covid-19 can happen to anyone.”
“Unprecedented situation” has emerged in Delhi, which could worsen in coming weeks with Covid-19 cases rising to 500 cases per million population.
Delhi witnessed significantly low numbers of coronavirus tests in the last 24 hours on Monday, with latest government figures recording 3,797 new cases and pushing the national capital’s total tally to 4,89,202.
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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