Feature
Modi announces slew of steps to boost ties with Sri Lanka
Colombo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a slew of measures to boost bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, including energy cooperation and visa on arrival for tourists while underlining that the “complex” fishermen row needed a long-term solution.
In a statement after talks with President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi said an MoU in customs signed on Friday would help address Colombo’s concerns on trade imbalance. He said it would simplify trade and reduce non-tariff barriers on both sides.
Modi is the first Indian prime minister to pay a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka after 1987.
The Indian leader announced that Lanka IOC, Indian Oil’s subsidiary in Sri Lanka, and Ceylon Petroleum Corp had agreed to jointly develop the “Upper Tank Farm of the China Bay Installation in Trincomalee on mutually agreed terms”.
The China Bay tank farm is a World War II depot in the eastern district of Trincomalee, one of the largest tank farms in South Asia.
Modi said a Joint Task Force would be set up soon to work out the modalities. “India stands ready to help Trincomalee become a regional petroleum hub.”
He said he looked forward to early commencement of work on the ground in the Sampur Coal Power Project, which he said would meet Sri Lanka’s energy needs.
The 2 X 250 MW coal power plant in Sampur is Sri Lanka’s second coal fired thermal power plant. It is being implemented as a joint venture of Ceylon Electricity Board and NTPC in Trincomalee district.
Modi also announced the setting up of a Joint Task Force on Ocean Economy to tap the vast oceans that hold enormous promise for both countries.
He announced a number of measures to boost people-to-people connect and increase tourism.
These include issuing visa on arrival to Sri Lankan tourists from April 14, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year; Air India’s direct flights between New Delhi and Colombo; India’s cooperation in developing a Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka and a Buddhist Circuit in India; holding a Festival of India in Sri Lanka later this year.
He said India would organise an exhibition showcasing India’s Buddhist heritage as part of the festival.
Modi announced a fresh Line of Credit of up to $318 million for Sri Lankan railways. India is also providing assistance for construction of a Rabindranath Tagore auditorium at Ruhuna University in Matara.
Modi said the Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had agreed to enter into a Currency Swap Agreement of $1.5 billion. “This will help keep the Sri Lankan rupee stable.”
On the festering fishermen issue, he said: “This complex issue involves livelihood and humanitarian concerns on both sides. We should handle it from this perspective.”
He added that both countries needed to find a long-term solution to the issue.
Modi said fishermen’s associations in both countries should meet soon to find a mutually acceptable arrangement, which can then be taken forward by both governments.
He praised President Sirisena’s efforts to build “an inclusive future for Sri Lanka” and conveyed India’s “sincere support and good wishes for Sri Lanka’s new journey of peace, reconciliation and progress”.
On the India-brokered 13th constitutional amendment on devolution of powers to provinces including the Tamil-dominated North, he said its “early and full implementation” would contribute to the process of establishing a united Sri Lanka.
He said he was glad to be in Colombo so soon after Sirisena’s trip to India.
“This is how it should be between neighbours. It helps to find solutions of mutual concerns and move the relations forward.
“I also conveyed India’s commitment to further strengthening our partnership in advancing peace and prosperity in our region, including our common maritime neighbourhood,” said Modi.
India and Sri Lanka also signed four agreements following delegation level talks attended by Modi and Sirisena.
The agreements cover exemption from visa for holders of diplomatic passports and an MoU for youth development.
Modi, who arrived Friday morning from Mauritius on the final leg of a three-nation tour, was received at the airport by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the presidential secretariat.
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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