Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday strongly opposed the State Government’s decision to start online lottery and imposing stamp duty on power of attorneys.
“Previous Congress Government in Punjab had banned the online lottery system considering its social implications. It ruined thousands of families in the state, and many other States have already banned the online and single digit lotteries,” said Bajwa.
He condemned the SAD-BJP Government for promoting social evil like gambling. “Online lottery would affect the poor and students who are easily lured for easy money. It is an addiction like drugs and it would spoil the youth,” he added.
He said that past experience had shown that all retailers approved by the State Government for the online lottery were running parallel ‘satta centres’ and generating black money in double the volume of online lottery. “Online lottery is a ploy of SAD-BJP Government to strip the people of state of their hard earned money,” he added.
He went on to say that promoting gambling was the brainchild of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal who is also trying to bring casino culture to the state and also earmarked land near ludhiana for the purpose.
Bajwa also opposed decision to impose two per cent stamp duty on power of attorneys. “It would hamper the growth of real estate sector. SAD-BJP Government should rather enact a law to safeguard the interests of investors in real estate,” he said.
Demanding to open all sand mines under the administrative control of industry department to control the rates, Bajwa said that for the last six years, SAD-BJP government was promoting the mining mafia and people were forced to buy sand and gravel at ten-time higher rates than existing in neighbouring States of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
“Punjab Government’s decision of partial auction of sand mines is not in the interest of people,” he added.