Feature
India to ink agreement with Myanmar, Thailand: Gadkari
Agartala: In the wake of an agreement between India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan for unhindered vehicular movement, a similar accord with Myanmar and Thailand will facilitate smoother surface movement in the region, union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.
“An agreement will soon be signed with Myanmar and Thailand to make surface connectivity with adjoining countries in the region easier,” the union minister said after laying the foundation stone of a double-laning project of National Highway 44 here.
He also said that funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency would be sought to develop and improve roads in the northeastern region of the country.
The agreement between India and three other member-nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu on June 15 was expected to provide a major boost to regional cooperation through unrestricted vehicular movement effective September 18.
The Indian government has taken ambitious initiatives to develop connectivity between the country and its neighbours like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Thailand to boost economic prosperity, he said.
Announcing road projects for increased connectivity among northeastern states and with neighbouring countries, the minister said his ministry had embarked upon the construction of one lakh km roads in the next five years in the eight northeastern states bordering China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.
“Of this target, 10,000 km of roads will be completed soon. A total of 20,000 km roads will be completed by December. National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has taken initiatives to speed up the road works,” he added.
NHIDCL, a fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, was set up recently to promote, conduct surveys, establish, design, build, operate, maintain and upgrade national highways and strategic roads, including interconnecting roads in parts of the country that share international boundaries with neighbouring countries.
Gadkari inaugurated a conference on ‘Key challenges in highways and infrastructure construction in northeastern region and use of innovative technologies and materials’ in Guwahati on Tuesday.
The two-day conference was attended by chief ministers, PWD ministers and senior officials from the northeastern states.
The main objective of this conference is to build the capacity of local contractors, engineers and other stakeholders for participation in construction of highways and infrastructure in the region.
“The involvement of local stakeholders in construction of highways and infrastructure would result in inclusive development of the region by providing new employment opportunities and avenues,” Gadkari added.
The minister said the central government was now encouraging electric vehicles in the country to make the environment pollution-free.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar stressed the need to establish road, rail, water, air and telecommunication linkages with Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh is now India’s friendliest and closest neighbour. Hence, we need close connection with this finest neighbour,” Sarkar added.
Sarkar urged the union minister to sanction adequate funds for timely completion of road projects announced by Gadkari.
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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