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Mizoram is one of most peaceful, progressing states: CM
Aizawl : Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in the country heading for a steady progress of development, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said on Monday.
“Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in India and also moving ahead for a steady progress, development, special infrastructure expansion,” Lal Thanhawla said after unfurling the national flag at the Assam Rifles Ground here.
“This year is the 30th anniversary of the signing of the memorandum of settlement, known as the ‘Mizoram Peace Accord’. In the last 30 years much has been achieved, yet there is still more to be done,” he said.
A tripartite agreement was signed between the Centre, the Mizoram government and the erstwhile militant outfit Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1986, ending a two-decade (1966 to 1986) long insurgency in the northeastern state.
The 70th Independence Day was observed across Mizoram with diverse programmes, including sports, cultural events and public gatherings.
The Chief Minister said that rice production was increased in Mizoram from 60,647 tonnes during 2014-15 to 62,089 tonnes during 2015-16, an increase of 2.29 per cent.
Area under oil palm cultivation increased from 20,377 hectares in 2014-15 to 23,358 hectares during 2015-16, which is an increase of 14.63 per cent.
Lal Thanhawla said that Mizoram has finally been connected to the broad gauge railway map of the country.
“Broad gauge goods train was flagged off at Bairabi railway station in March while the broad gauge passenger train was flagged out of the station in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing system. We expect that by 2019, the railway line under construction to reach Sairang would be completed.”
He said that 60 MW Tuirial hydroelectric project was in the final stages of completion and was expected to be commissioned shortly. Construction work for the 210 MW Tuivai hydroelectric project is being pursued.
The Chief Minister said that the school education department has tied up with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to introduce Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx) in 200 high schools in Mizoram.
The Mizoram government has implemented the much-awaited National Food Security Act, 2013, in March, benefiting 140,017 households covering 667,482 people.
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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