Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Lottery ban to shield mafia: Pinarayi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the Central government’s move to ban paper lottery is intended to protect the lottery mafia.

Inaugurating a ‘Raj Bhavan March’ organised by the CITU-led Lottery Agents and Sellers’ Union here on Monday, Mr. Vijayan said that several Congress leaders had close links with the lottery mafia and the Centre’s stance was part of the strategy of the two sides to protect each other.

He pointed out that the lottery sellers belonged to one of the most distressed sections in society. If the Centre went ahead with the move to ban paper lotteries, it would land the lottery sellers, numbering around three lakh in Kerala alone, in severe hardship. If they lose their means of livelihood, the State might not be able to even rehabilitate them, he added.

Mr. Vijayan called upon the Centre to desist from the move as the measure had no justification. The entire society would support the lottery sellers in their struggle to get the Central policy reversed. The State government had done its bit to ensure the welfare of the lottery workers by instituting a lottery agents’ welfare fund scheme, he said.

Coming down heavily on the Central move, CITU State general secretary M.M. Lawrence said the contention that the proposed ban was intended to shield people from the ill-effects of gambling had no basis as the Centre was encouraging gambling involving hundreds of crores of rupees. Lottery Agents’ and Sellers’ Union president V.S. Mony chaired the meeting. Union general secretary M. V. Jayarajan welcomed the gathering. The lottery agents and sellers had observed a ‘Lottery Bandh’ on Monday as part of their agitation.

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