State ready for inquiry, says Isaac

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Finance and Public Works T.M. Thomas Isaac said here on Friday that the government was willing to enquire into allegations regarding granting of permissions for lotteries and acceptance of tax for additional draws.

Replying to questions at a press conference, the Minister said that the State government had no right to disallow additional draws by authorised representatives of lotteries of other States. The government had letters from Sikkim government and court orders which confirmed that Megha distributors were authorised agents. However, since the Opposition had raised doubts, the government had sent a fax to the Sikkim government seeking clarification. The reply should come in a week.

An official who had failed to collect penalty on delayed payment of tax had been suspended from service, after the government detected the irregularity.