THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Here’s an opportunity for both the rich and the poor to join the government’s massive infrastructure rebuilding exercise. The State Lotteries Department is inviting people from all walks of life for the promotion of its Nava Kerala Lottery to mobilise funds for the flood rehabilitation and reconstruction works.
Unlike other lotteries, Nava Kerala lottery can be sold by anyone by taking a one-time agency. The price of a lottery ticket is `250. There will be 90 first prizes of `1 lakh and 1,00,800 prizes of `5,000. The government expects to mop up `85 crore from ticket sales. The commission for selling a set of 10 tickets is `557.
Lotteries Department authorities said they have entered into a tie-up with the Kudumbashree to sell tickets using the latter’s 43 lakh members. Talks are on with companies housed at the Technopark here and Infopark in Kochi for bulk purchases for their staff. “Besides individuals, we want residents’ associations, clubs and other organisations to take up the sale,” they said.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said Nava Kerala was more of a noble mission than testing one’s luck. “The prize money is very low when compared to the other lotteries. This should be seen as a contribution to restore our state’s original glory,” he said. The department has roped in Kudumbashree’s Rangashree theatre to conduct campaign programmes in all districts.
According to Isaac, the Lotteries Department’s revenue nosedived to half in August when the floods struck. “People belonging to the unorganised and non-formal sectors, the major buyers of lotteries, were severely affected by the floods,” he said.