The government is yet to take a call on issuing a fresh notice to lottery distributor A. John Kennedy who went on appeal to the Supreme Court seeking permission for registration in the State.
A Supreme Court order issued on July 16 had said that if the lottery scam-accused distributor submitted an application in accordance with the provisions of the law, the State government should consider it.
Though the court direction had not been deemed as an indictment of the government, the order mandated the issuance of a fresh notice by an authorised officer so that it would have legal standing.
Finance Department sources told The Hindu here that it had become imperative for the government to issue a fresh notice to thwart the entry of lotteries which flouted the rules in the State. But no concrete steps had been taken in this regard so far, they said.
As per rules, the official who accorded clearance to lottery distributors to operate in the State was bound to check the antecedents (of the distributors). The official should also ensure that they were not violating the laws on any count. The provision placing the onus on the clearing official prompted them to tread cautiously, sources said.
Kerala, though not a lottery-free zone, could well curb the distribution of illegal lotteries by enforcing regulatory provisions. Violations had been detected in the case of the distributor in question and hence there were no hitches in issuing the notice. But the government seems to be awaiting a political decision in this regard, sources said.
The preparedness and efficacy of Taxes Department personnel in scrutinising and verifying the credentials of applicants were also in question. A majority of them are unaware of the specifics of the rules and regulations. Than functioning in isolation, the taxmen would need to seek the help of the Lotteries Directorate for clamping down on the violators. Tax officials had not been trained to handle such cases, sources said.
