Gambling is thriving rampantly in Andhra Pradesh, with gamblers having arranged a suitable spot for themselves five kilometres away from the camp office of the Chief Minister at Tadepalle. Around 300 gamblers on a daily basis are seen playing cards in the water-locked lands close to Krishna River. All those who want to play for a single day are needed to make an advance payment of Rs 2,500 which includes all arrangements, such as a boat ride to the hideout and a free meal. Shockingly! All this is happening within a walking distance to the Vijayawada and Tadepalli police stations. Suspicions among locals are that the police were deliberately ignoring the gambling activities.
Daily Rs 50 lakh is changing hands
According to reports, the gamblers playing poker are thriving with the support of an MP from the capital region. Around 300 card players from Eluru, Guntur, Vijayawada and Bhimavaram play cards for the whole day. The irony is that the government had recently passed an Act banning online and offline gambling. However, the followers of the YSRCP leaders are running card camps nearby. It seems that the camps are being held after talking to the police in advance. That is why despite all the media reports, the police are pretending as if they never knew about the gambling activity.
What is SEB doing?
In fact, CM Jaganmohan Reddy and Home Minister Sucharita told the Assembly that the government will not leave anyone who organises card clubs in the state. The state has also enacted a law banning illicit alcohol, online and offline games that includes gambling using playing cards. A special system has also been set up to curb these illegal activities. Around 80 percent of the staff in the excise branch have been transferred to SEB. All of them need to be vigilant and prevent irregularities. But the SEB, which has been conducting raids to curb illicit liquor, has turned a blind eye towards gambling. The performance of this department has also received many criticisms.
It seems that followers of YSRCP leaders are paying a huge amount to the police to organize card camps on weekdays. They charge Rs 2,500 per day from those playing cards and are collecting up to Rs 10 lakhs per day. It is rumoured that a bargain of Rs 20 lakh has been negotiated with the police for organising such camps weekly. Hence, police are being criticised for ignoring the issue.
However, following media publicity police rushed to the spot and shut the camps for a few days, all of which seemed to be going according to plan. After that, they gave a gap for a few days and camped elsewhere and continued there. Opposition leaders have criticized the inaction of the government even as thousands of families are forced into debts due to gambling. The locals want the Vijayawada police to at least open their eyes now and initiate action against those responsible.
