‘Irregularities in state lotteries during Congress-NCP rule’

MUMBAI: Alleging that the state government lost hundreds of crores of rupees owing to irregularities in the online operations of state lotteries, a retired Indian

MUMBAI: Alleging that the state government lost hundreds of crores of rupees owing to irregularities in the online operations of state lotteries, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has demanded the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to look into lottery operations during the Congress-NCP regime.

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Anand Kulkarni has also accused senior NCP leader and former finance minister Jayant Patil and senior IAS officer Kavita Gupta, who was commissioner, state lotteries as well as serving as a secretary in the finance department, for irregularities.

Both Patil and Gupta were not available for comment while chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he will verify the complaint and if it has substance, will take action.

Kulkarni has alleged that there was a nexus between the finance department and private lottery operators and hence lottery operations between 2001 and 2008 need to be investigated.

The ACB is already investigating irregularities in the irrigation department and the Maharashtra Sadan case involving senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal.

Kulkarni referred to a confidential report prepared by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on lottery operations that was allegedly suppressed during Congress-NCP regime.

“The report has exposed the gross violation of guidelines of the central government and a nexus between the finance department and private lottery operators,” said Kulkarni on Tuesday.

Patil as chairman of the state lottery board had considered the lone tender of a private operator ‘Martin Lottery Agencies’ for controlling state lottery operations and also gave repeated extensions. The agency was operating from Chennai with just a sub-centre in Mumbai, which meant it could not be controlled nor had it a mechanism to check its misuse for conducting lottery operations. This resulted in huge revenue losses, Kulkarni said.

The former home minister, late RR Patil, had ordered a CID probe headed by the then Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) SPS Yadav into the scam.

The report pointed to a nexus between officials from the finance department and private lottery operators and recommended the closure of online lottery, he said. However, the report was suppressed, he said.

Kulkarni and Jayant Patil had a fallout earlier this year as Patil had raised certain issues related to Kulkarni’s tenure as additional chief secretary of public works department in the state legislature.