Sikkim’s claim false, baseless: Isaac
R Ayyappan
First Published : 18 Aug 2010 08:16:43 AM IST
Last Updated : 18 Aug 2010 10:44:31 AM IST

Sikkim’s claim false, baseless: Isaac

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said that Sikkim’s stand that its lotteries were continued after July 4 was nothing but an afterthought. He described as ‘false and baseless’ the claim that  Sikkim State Lotteries had written to the State about the continued sale of its lotteries after July 4.

“A few days ago they (Sikkim State Lotteries) had sent a pre-dated letter supposed to have been sent in July in which they speak about the continuation of the lotteries. This is an afterthought. Fact is, they had discontinued the lotteries,’’ Isaac told Express. Isaac gave two reasons for his contention.

One, the Sikkim authorities had not informed the State Government of its assumed actions.

“The fax copies of the letters they are supposed to have sent us in July and are now in our possession are addressed to Future Gaming Solutions, and not to the assistant sales tax commissioner as claimed. Even this belated fax copy is not marked to the State Government,’’ Isaac said.

Two, Sikkim had stopped its Dear series in the middle of July even though they had remitted money for the whole of July. “Megha had even asked for a refund and we had written to Sikkim asking whether it was proper to give them a refund,” Isaac said. He added that there was market information that Sikkim had plans to stop its Super Deluxe series, too, in the middle of August.

On August 12, Isaac had ordered criminal proceedings against Megha Distributors charging them with selling fake Sikkim lotteries after July 4. His argument was that available documents show that Sikkim had discontinued its lotteries after July 4. The very next day, on August 13, Sikkim State Lotteries Director T Tashi contradicted the Minister.

“It is true that on June 25 we had given a letter stating that we were stopping eight schemes on July 4. But five days later on June 30, I had sent another letter to the Assistant Sales Tax commissioner in which it was stated that the eight schemes would be extended till July 18. On July 9, I had sent yet another letter to the official stating that eight new schemes would be launched from July 19. So you see, the sale of lotteries continued smoothly without any break,’’ Tashi had told Express.

Isaac’s contentions will be used to counter Tashi’s arguments when the case comes up in the High Court on August 18. Megha Distributors have gone to court against Kerala Government for refusing to accept advance tax from them.

For Isaac, the biggest scam is the intriguing silence of the Centre.

“It has been two years since we had sent the Centre the Vigilance report on the illegal activities of these lottery dealers. There is ample evidence to show that the lotteries are not printed in Sikkim, that the draw is not carried out in that state and also that no money goes into the Sikkim Treasury. We are convinced these people have broken the law but the Centre has not responded,’’ Isaac said.