Pondy taking steps on lottery: CM

Puducherry, Apr 12 (UNI) The administration is taking steps to prevent the sale of banned lottery tickets in the union territory and as many as 92 cases registered and culprits punished since 2004, Chief Minister N Rangasamy told the Assembly today.

Answering a question, the chief minister said the lottery menace had somewhat been curbed due to his government's efforts.

Refuting the contention, Mr Om Sakthi Sekhar (AIADMK), who posed the question, claimed free sale of banned lottery and showed purported lottery tickets and the results announced on the internet today.

He also claimed lottery was being sold in some shops and the results published in an evening paper.

With this, members cutting across party lines joined the issue and wanted the government to seal the shops and fix responsibility on police officials.

Mr Rangasamy said the ban was imposed in a bid to find a permanent solution and added the government will not spare any official knowingly supporting the sale of the lottery tickets here.

UNI