All lotteries to be banned in K'taka from April

Dharmastala, Karnataka, Jan 3 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today announced that all types of lotteries, including online ones, would be banned from the next fiscal in the state.

Inaugurating distribution of dividends on profits made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) to the groups promoted by the Sri Kshetra Dharmastala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) here, he said that after personally witnessing the plight of poor people, particularly in the rural areas, who have lost everything due to this vice, he had decided to ban all lotteries. ''I will neither yield to any pressure, nor will I change my stand in this regard,'' he added.

Mr Kumaraswamy said that similarly, the decision to ban the sale of arrack was taken after seeing the plight of poor women, unable to run the house due to the addiction of their husbands. Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had endorsed his views to raise revenue from other sources to balance the revenue loss due to the ban.

He said that from the next financial year, the Government had decided to extend four per cent loan facility to all Sthree Shakti Groups and SHGs in the State, aimed at empowering women.

Appreciating SKDRDP efforts towards rural development through various schemes, he said ''when a non-government agency like SKDRDP can so efficiently carry on such schemes, why cannot the Government. I think, we have stumbled somewhere.'' Mr Kumaraswamy said the Government was considering a proposal to waive off bad debts of farmers. The Government had also decided that within an year, all shelterless families would be provided a house.

The Chief Minister sought the involvement and guidance of SKDRDP President Dr D Veerendra Heggade in alienating the suffering of poor farmers and invited him to Vidhana Soudha, the State Secretariat, to address Government officials about his experiences and experiments.

Earlier, Dr Heggade urged the State Government to evolve a mechanism for marketing the produces of farmers, affected by price instability. The Government should also have a proper information system to provide inputs about the right cultivation of crop at the right time depending on the local condtions with the proper supply of quality seeds, pesticides and organic manure.

Earlier, the Chief Minister along with his wife paid a visit to Sri Manjunatheshwara Swamy temple here and offered special prayers.

UNI