Feature
Haryana on alert as Jats resume agitation
Chandigarh: With bitter memories of large-scale violence fresh in the minds of people, Haryana was on high alert on Sunday as a section of the Jat community started fresh protests in some districts.Paramilitary forces and Haryana Police were monitoring the situation in Jat-dominated districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Jind, Bhiwani, Sonipat, Panipat and others.The call to resume the protests has been given by the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) headed by Jat leader Yashpal Malik in 19 districts.
The Jats are demanding fulfillment of demands like release of youths arrested during the Jat agitation last year, jobs to kin of Jats killed in the agitation and action against officials responsible for firing on Jat agitationists.”Security agencies are keeping a close watch on some Jat leaders, especially those owing allegiance to the AIJASS,” a senior police officer said here on Sunday.
The Haryana government has requisitioned 55 companies of central police forces and ordered the deployment of 7,000 Home Guards, besides the Haryana Police personnel, in districts where trouble was expected.Central forces and Haryana police carried out flag marches in Rohtak and some other places on Saturday to instill confidence among people.The Jat agitation in February last year left 30 people dead and over 200 injured.
Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar and some other districts were the worst affected during the Jat agitation.Government and private property worth hundreds of crores was damaged and set on fire. Large-scale looting of commercial and business premises and even motorists was reported from the 10 worst affected districts.
In a communication to senior officers in districts, the Haryana government last week directed that security of all major critical points like drinking water supply to Delhi in Karnal and Sonipat, traffic movement on the G.T. road (National Highway No 1) and roadways depots should be secured.Haryana Director General of Police K.P. Singh said earlier that if anyone was found indulging in any illegal activity or causing loss to public property, action would be initiated against him.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said people should refrain from participating in any agitation. He said the government will strictly deal with the situation if it gets out of hand.
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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