Feature
Modi raises fishermen issue during talks with Sri Lankan president
New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need for a permanent solution to the vexed fishermen issue during talks with visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena here.
Modi, and Sirisena held talks over a working dinner hosted by the Indian prime minister at Hyderabad House on Friday evening.
Modi stressed on the need “to develop a mechanism and find a permanent solution to the issue of fishermen straying into each other waters”.
He also appreciated President Sirisena’s efforts to promote reconciliation in Sri Lanka so that all sections of Sri Lankan society can live with equality and dignity, said an official statement.
The two leaders discussed all issues of bilateral interest, in particular the problems being faced by Indian fishermen, the status of various economic projects being implemented by India and efforts to further increase trade and investment.
Modi said that President Sirisena’s visit for the Simhastha Kumbha in Ujjain was very significant as it showed the deep civilisational ties between India and Sri Lanka.
President Sirisena thanked Prime Minister Modi for receiving him and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by government of India to Sri Lanka, in particular the various developmental projects being implemented by India.
In this context, both the leaders appreciated the meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission led by two foreign ministers, which had met after the gap of three years, said the external affairs ministry statement.
Modi will be accompanying Sirisena to Ujjain on Saturday.
According to a statement put up by the Sri Lankan president’s website. Modi has “assured to give every support to Sri Lanka to make the reconciliation programme successful”.
Both leaders also discussed setting up of an allopathic medicine investment zone in Sri Lanka.
They also paid attention to enhancing of the economic, commercial and cultural relations between the two countries.
The idea of setting up a common economic zone was also taken up.
This was the sixth meeting between President Sirisena and Modi, during a short span of 15 months.
President Sirisena had chosen India for his first state visit after coming to office.
He had discussions with Modi during his bilateral visit to New Delhi earlier as well as during Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka; both met on the sidelines of international forums such as the UN General Assembly and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet in Malta as well as at the Paris climate summit.
“Thus, the leaders of Sri Lanka and India have become the two heads of states who met the most number of times during a period of 15 months. Consequently, the two heads of states have set an example of who held periodical bilateral discussions for most number of times,” said the Sri Lankan president’s website.
Sirisena later tweeted, posting a picture of him and Modi shaking hands, “The amity between India and Sri Lanka is special. With @narendramodi it continues to improve.”
Earlier, the Sri Lanka president arrived here on a two-day official visit.
In the evening, Sirisena also attended an event at the India Foundation where he was felicitated by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Pradhan later tweeted: “Energy relationship with Sri Lanka is very strong; IOC is present in marketing sector of Sri Lanka.”
In Ujjain, the Sri Lankan president will address the valedictory session at the Vaicharick Mahakumbh which is being held as part of the Simhastha Mahakumbh on Saturday.
He will also visit Sanchi where he will tour the famed Sanchi Stupa and attend a function by the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka during which he will unveil a statute of Angarika Dharmapala.
Sirisena is also to tour Sanchi as part of his visit in which he will also unveil a monument of Anagarika Dharmapala
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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