Feature
Burhan Wani death: 1500 security personnel injured amidst protests
Curfew was today clamped in Kashmir in view of Friday prayers which see large congregations as authorities apprehended fresh violence in the Valley where 36 persons have died and over 3,100 injured in clashes following the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani last week. “Curfew has been imposed in all 10 districts of Kashmir Valley today as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order,” a police official said.
No major clash was reported yesterday from anywhere in Kashmir where uneasy calm prevailed with normal life remaining disrupted since last Saturday. The official said the decision to impose curfew was taken as there were apprehensions that vested interests might exploit the large gatherings at Friday prayers to instigate fresh violence. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said. Authorities have also pulled the plug on mobile telephone services in the Valley to prevent any rumour-mongering.
Over 3100 people, including 1500 security personnel, have been injured during the ongoing unrest in Kashmir that began after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir government said today while releasing the data. Majority of the injured people have either been discharged from hospitals or treated for minor injuries in Out Patient Department (OPD), while 244 patients are still admitted in various government run hospitals, an official spokesman said.
He said 276 surgeries have been performed in various hospitals which received 1640 civilians injured during the last five days. Of the wounded, 134 people have eye injuries and a large number of them have been discharged after specialised treatment, the spokesman said adding 46 such patients are currently admitted in SMHS hospital here and have undergone eye surgeries.
While tackling the unruly crowds, over 1500 security personnel have also received injuries and have been provided treatment, he said. He said government has been regularly reviewing the arrangements, particularly for the treatment of the injured persons. “The required facilities including the availability of medical specialists, para medical staff and medicines have been ensured in all the hospitals, to facilitate timely and free treatment to all the patients,” the spokesman said.
He allayed the apprehensions in certain quarters with regard to inadequacy of health care services for the injured. Meanwhile, Health Minister Bali Bhagat today chaired a high level meeting here and reviewed the availability of medicine and other medical supplies in hospitals across the Valley. Expressing satisfaction over the adequate stocks of medicines and blood in the hospitals, the minister directed the concerned to extend every possible medicare to the injured for their early recovery.
He also directed for ensuring free supply of medicines to the patients.
Bhagat said the team of senior ophthalmologists from AIIMS, which is on tour of Valley, expressed satisfaction over the healthcare facilities being provided to the injured persons.
“There is no shortage of medicines and other surgical appliances in the hospitals,” he said.
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.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
