Feature
Frame constitution early, with consensus: Modi urges Nepal
Kathmandu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday urged Nepal to frame its much-awaited constitution early and on the basis of consensus.
Addressing an event here to hand over to Nepal a 200-bed trauma centre built by India, Modi said writing the constitution was “taking too much time” and urged Nepal to finish the work on the basis of consensus and not majority.
He said the constitution should be like a bouquet with each flower representing each strata of the Nepali society – the Madhesi, the Maoists and Pahadis – providing them rights.
Modi, who is here to attend the 18th SAARC Summit, said India will not interfere and has never interfered in Nepal’s affairs, but added that “Nepal’s happiness is reason for us to smile, so write it fast”.
He said if the constitution was not written with consensus “there could be problems later”. “Every person should be happy under it,” he added. Political parties have set Jan 22 as deadline to draft the Constitution.
Modi also handed over the keys of a Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter to the Nepali army.
The 200-bed trauma centre has been built by India at a cost of Rs.1.5 billion in the city’s Bir Hospital, the oldest medical facility in the country.
He also handed over a mobile soil testing laboratory to Nepal. A Kathmandu-Delhi bus service is also to kick off.
Modi said that a “lot of trust” has been built into their bilateral relations. He said a “big horsepower engine” of trust has been fitted into their relations in the 100 days since his last visit to Nepal in August.
Referring to his decision not to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, as well as Janakpur and Muktinath, which both Hindus and Buddhists hold as sacred, Modi said it was due to paucity of time.
“This time I was keen to go by road because I wanted to see the difficulties the people of Nepal and Indians on that side face and help mend matters. But due to shortage of time I could not do it,” he said.
The prime minister said he was aware of the disappointment of the people in the three places and assured them that he will visit them in the near future. “I can experience your love from far, and I assure every Nepali citizen they have full right on India, and Indians and their prime minister,” he said.
He said the bilateral decisions that were stuck for the past 25 years were now being pushed forward. “Between my first visit, and my second, decisions have been taken to change lives in Nepal, and give happiness to India,” the prime minister said.
Modi said the hydropower projects that were stuck for many years have been pushed forward and that all the Nepal parties have shown farsightedness in backing the projects with India.
He said a new electricity transmission line was being set up between the two countries. “One new transmission line of 1,000 MW is being installed, and Nepal will light up,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said the $1 billion line of credit which he had announced during his last visit is being finalised now.
Both countries would sign the Motor Vehicles Act that would allow regular bus service between the two nations, and allow the common people to make use of it, according to Modi.
He said the bus service could also give a fillip to tourism between the two countries and that he had suggested providing the bus with a Wi-Fi facility.
Touching on the high call charges for phone calls between the two nations, Modi said though the two countries are close neighbours and linked economically the phone call rates were high.
“In India the rate is 40 paise and in Nepal it is Rs.3.50.”
The prime minister said the Indian operators have agreed to reduce it by 35 percent, and urged Nepal providers to see if they could also slash the call rates.
On the difficulty of Nepalese workers in bring back Indian currency of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 denominations to Nepal, he said he had appealed to the government and from now on Indian money up to Rs.25,000 in those denominations would be allowed into Nepal.
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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