Pallavi Sharma
Dharamshala:
Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal has strongly condemned the Congress government’s decision to reinstate the lottery system in Himachal Pradesh, calling it a “regressive and dangerous” step that threatens the social and financial fabric of the state.
Speaking in reaction to the announcement made during the four-day Cabinet ‘Chintan Shivir’ recently concluded by the Sukhu-led Congress government, Dhumal said that the reintroduction of lottery sales in the state marks a return to an era of economic ruin and addiction.
Says lottery addiction once wrecked households
Reminiscing about his tenure, Dhumal said, “When I became Chief Minister in 1998, we made a unanimous decision in 1999 to completely shut down the lottery system in Himachal Pradesh.” He explained that at the time, employees, retired workers, labourers and even the youth were investing their entire salaries, pensions and savings into lotteries, leading to financial devastation across the state.
“The lottery had become an addiction – a curse. People lost their life savings, homes were ruined, families torn apart. We banned it not just as a policy decision, but as a moral responsibility to save the future of the state,” he added.
He also cited the 1996 Himachal High Court ruling, which imposed a complete ban on single-digit lottery sales in the state, as a key legal backdrop to his government’s decision.
BJP calls decision ‘anti-people’, urges immediate rollback
Terming the recent move by the Congress government as short-sighted and anti-people, Dhumal warned that Himachal is heading towards becoming a hub of liquor, drugs, and now lottery-driven gambling. He said, “The same Congress which had shut the system again under Virbhadra Singh in 2005, has now opened the floodgates under Sukhu.”
“Back then, lottery revenue barely touched Rs 4 to 5 crore annually — a small amount compared to the irreversible damage it caused to people’s lives,” he added.
Dhumal noted that Himachal currently has over 2.3 lakh employees, including 1.6 lakh permanent staff and an estimated 9 to 10 lakh unemployed youth. He argued that introducing a lottery system in such an environment could lure vulnerable sections into false hopes, leading to financial ruin and social unrest.
He also took a dig at the ruling party’s election promise of giving 1 lakh government jobs in the first cabinet meeting and 5 lakh jobs over five years, saying, “Instead of jobs, they’re giving lotteries. The reality is that Himachal is fast becoming a den of substance abuse and gambling.”
The BJP has demanded an immediate rollback of the decision, with Dhumal asserting that no amount of revenue can justify a move that endangers the public. “This is not governance, it is gambling with the future of our youth,” he said.
The former CM urged the public to remain vigilant and not fall into the trap of short-term illusions like lottery riches. “It is a social evil in disguise,” he warned.
