Though the single-digit lottery was banned five years ago in the State, unauthorised business continue to ensnare gamblers and low-income families, the Janata Dal (Secular) alleged. Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Leader of the Opposition H.D. Kumaraswamy demanded that the government expunge single-digit lottery business in the State.
He said gamblers have developed a State-wide network using cellphones and have been selling tickets secretly. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pleaded ignorance about the illegal sale of lotteries in Ramanagaram and other parts of the State. Home Minister K..J. George dismissed it as just “rumours”, but had directed the police to conduct a probe, he said.
Promoters of this lottery even publish the results in some publications and send them via cellphones. They sell fake tickets, cheating the public, he said. If the Home Minister was not able to stop the menace, he should tender his resignation.
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The Kumaraswamy government had banned single-digit lottery in the State in 2006. Mr. George must quit the Ministry if he fails to control the illegal operation, the JD(S) leader said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that corruption was rampant in transfers of engineers in the Public Works Department and the government continues to issue transfer orders, violating the rules framed by it.
“The government has fixed transfer rate at Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 3 crore for chief engineers in the PWD, he alleged. He also alleged that large-scale transfers were taking place, particularly in the Revenue Department and the PWD.
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“Why has the Chief Minister, who has taken an oath in the name of truth, been tight-lipped about rampant corruption in transfers of officials?” he said.