Let us not miss the woods for the trees, in the lottery fiasco

A lot of hot discussions are going on about the lottery fiasco in Kerala, which is running the state lottery without any hitch.

The problem is with regard to outside lotteries that have been fleecing the gullible poor man for a long time now.

Those who seek action against the erring lotteries are drawing attention to the well-run Kerala lottery which is transparent and the outside lotteries, particularly the Bhutan and Sikkim varieties.

No one in the state would have any doubt about the hanky panky in the outside lottery. The affairs are not transparent. No one knows who all got the prizes. Neither is the way the lottery is being run.

Ordinary folks used to purchase tickets in bulk, thinking that they would get Rs 5,000 each for the last three digits or so. If one gets a Rs 5,000 winning once, he would go on buying lottery tickets in bulk. The reality is that the people are not aware of the venue where the draw is conducted or whether the first and bumper prizes are given at all.

The blame game has been going on in Kerala as to who should take action against the erring lotteries. Now it is time for the authorities to clear up the mess. No one should be allowed to run spurious lotteries. The people should know where the draw is conducted and who are all getting the sprizes.

The authorities cannot hoodwink the people anymore.