SHILLONG:
The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming (Repeal) Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Assembly on March 21.
Tabling his statement of objects and reasons, Minister in-charge of Taxation Abu Taher Mondal said the state legislature had enacted the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021, which was notified and published on March 26, 2021, in the official gazette.
However, after due deliberations, the government of Meghalaya has taken steps to repeal this act.
Since the House was not in session, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming (Repeal) Ordinance, 2022, was promulgated by the Governor of Meghalaya on December 31, 2022, and published in the gazette on January 3, 2023, to repeal the Gaming Act.
“Now that the House is in session, the ordinance promulgated by the Governor has to laid before the Legislative Assembly of the state in the form of a bill as required under Article 213 (2) (a) of the Constitution of India. Therefore, it is proposed to replace the above said ordinance by a bill, namely, ‘The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming (Repeal) Bill, 2023,” Mondal said.
It may be mentioned that the decision to repeal the act was taken after stiff opposition was registered from several quarters of society including church leaders and NGOs.