Task force to guide Maharashtra govt on security, intelligence

The Maharashtra government is planning to have a task force to suggest ways and means to improve the intelligence gathering apparatus and security mechanism in the major cities of the state over the next fortnight, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil stated here today.

He was speaking to mediapersons after the state cabinet's weekly meeting. "The task force will consist of retired Research and Analysis Wing and Intelligence Bureau officials, retired police officials from the state, senior military officials and academicians who are part of think tanks working in the field of conflict management and terrorism."

However, Patil did not specify the task force's deadline for submitting its recommendations.

The state cabinet also okayed a proposal to replace sales tax on lottery tickets with a tax on lottery draws, and put a cap on the time slots during which lottery draws can be declared.

Now, draws may be declared only between 4 pm and 9 pm and all the terminal owners of Maharashtra state lottery and other lotteries will have to pay a license fee of Rs 500 annually.

Now, lottery operators will have to pay a tax of Rs 50,000 per draw for a weekly lottery, Rs 1 lakh for a fortnightly draw, Rs 2 lakh if it is monthly and Rs 10 lakh on bumper draws.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said after the cabinet meeting that corporate India's response to the state's appeal to come forward for reconstruction and rehabilitation of villages devastated after the July deluge last year has not been enthusiastic.

When Deshmukh was bombarded with the questions on the 26/7 deluge and its aftermath, he said, "We had given them a list of villages and told them what relief and rehabilitation work needs to be done. Initially, there was an overwhelming response, but it was not followed by any concrete action."