Feature
Maharashtra to seek UNESCO world heritage tag for Raigad Fort
Raigad (Maharashtra):The Maharashtra government will make efforts to secure a place for the imposing Raigad Fort, the erstwhile capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhonsle, in the UNESCO world heritage list, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced here on Monday.
He said it is a matter of concern that the historic fort atop a steep hill does not figure on the world heritage sites and the state would not rest till the site secured its rightful place in the Unesco list.
“There are several forts in Maharashtra… but none of these figure in the Unesco. We will ensure that this (Raigad fort) gets recognition internationally,” said Fadnavis, to thunderous applause, in his address at the 343rd commemoration ceremony of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation which took place here on June 6, 1674.
In this context, he said that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, a descendent of the great warrior king, had discussed the issue with him as well as plans to develop and conserve the fort as well as its surroundings for future generations.
For this, the state government has approved a Rs 5 billion development plan, including development of 21 villages within a seven km radius of the fort, to boost tourism in the region.
Fadnavis became the first chief minister ever to attend the solemn ceremony and took part in the coronation rituals performed on Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje.
A 100-page coffee table book “Rajdhani Raigad” giving rare historical insights into Raigad accompanied by an aerial picture of the fort clicked by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, was released by Fadnavis on the occasion.
The book, the first-ever coffee-table presentation by the state government, is the culmination of joint efforts of Aniruddha Ashtaputre, Vilas Kane, Sadashiv Tetvilkar, Dilip Balsekar with inputs from Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal.
Thousands of people from all over Maharashtra had started for the gruelling 1,737-step climb to the hilltop fort, 2,700 feet above sea level, from Sunday onwards for Monday’s ceremony.
The historic fort, mostly in ruins and now accessible even by an aerial tramway within 20 minutes, was a witness to a glorious era of Maratha history which started with Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation, and it was from here he laid foundation of the ‘Hindavi Swarajya’.
Presently, Maharashtra has four world heritage sites – the Elephanta Caves off Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, the Ajanta-Ellora Caves in Aurangabad and the Western Ghats.
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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