Team Herald
MARGAO: After Herald reported that the Deen Dayal kiosks in Pajifond had become centres for matka and tobacco sale, all kiosks in the area remained closed on Thursday, and there was no sign of the matka bookies. Some kiosks near the fire station also remained closed.
Rattled by Herald’s expose, some kiosk operators also made attempts to call and intimidate the newsmen of the paper.
The kiosks at Pajifond, which were exclusive matka dens, remained closed during the day after they were alerted of the report on Thursday. Locals also approached Herald newsmen and reacted positively to the expose.
“This stall could have been a source of income for youth who may be jobless or poor. It is sad to see that a totally illegal business is being carried out in a government resource,” said a retail shopkeeper. He also congratulated Herald for the report and said that there had been a lot of intimidation and provocation by the local matka bookies to silence the people’s voices for a long time now.
Meanwhile, a kiosk owner at the Kadamba bus stand was heard saying ‘what we had done is wrong and he selling tobacco products was right.’
Sources have informed that some kiosks at prime locations are being sublet at a whopping Rs 40,000 to 50,000 rent per month.
Through a report on Thursday, Herald exposed how Deen Dayal Swayam Rojgar Yojana (DSS) kiosks in Margao had become centres for the matka trade and sale of tobacco products. It was also learnt that some anti-tobacco NGOs have also swung into action and are going to start an aggressive campaign against the illegalities.
