The Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed to oppose the introduction of casinos to Ri-Bhoi decided today to try and meet Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to lobby him to repeal the Regulation of Gaming Act 2021.
The JAC comprises traditional leaders and pressure groups from the district. Its members held a meeting here today, which was attended by district MLAs Mayralborn Syiem, George Lyngdoh, Sosthenes Sohtun, Nongpoh MDC Balajied Rani, church leaders and others.
Bowing to public pressure, the state government has frozen its plans to introduce casinos to Meghalaya via Ri-Bhoi. However, it has declined to repeal the act in toto, arguing that other regulations contained within it are important.
The JAC will hold a signature campaign in different areas of Ri-Bhoi to seek support from the public against the casino project. The JAC will also soon meet the Chief Executive Member of the KHADC to demand that the council not issue a trading licence to the would-be casino’s owners.
At the meeting, Umroi TMC MLA said that the claim made by the MDA government that casino will generate revenue is unfounded. “The claim that they will receive 5 and 500 crores a year cannot be understood. According to the different reports and research, gambling will not give us increasing revenue. It is not an essential commodity like petrol or food. It is something where people will waste their time.”
He said other guidelines of the law, such as the online gaming and the online betting, would bring huge loss to the youth of the state. “Everyone possesses cellphones and has the power in their hands to participate in online betting and gambling, which will lead to addiction even though they do not go to casinos. They would play at home, at educational institutions,” he added.
Lyngdoh also questioned “Why was 1200 crores of revenue given away if the government has a dearth of revenue.”
Quoting the CAG report, 2019 which mentioned that 1200 crores worth of revenue were given away freely instead of being utilised for the state Lyngdoh said, “If the government says that there is a dearth of revenue, then let us look at whatever is pending and collect them in a proper way.”
The opposition chief whip said that the state’s per capita income dropped by 1.8 per cent during the fiscal year 2021-22, which also indicates unemployment.
