Jamshedpur, Oct. 26: Matka operators and lottery ticket sellers are having a good time now with no police to take notice of their activities.

Gambling and lottery, both illegal activities according to the state government, are taking place in any convenient corners of the marketplace. It is not hard to come across people indulging in matka anywhere in the steel city. The matka operators organise it in any abandoned cars or shops, huts in desolate streets of street city.

And it is rampant in marketplaces like Sakchi, Jugsalai, Golmuri, Sitaramdera, Sonari, Parsudih, Mango and Kadma.

In Sakchi, matka is organised at fish market, Murga Market, Sanjay Market, Mohammedan Line and Kashidih while in Jugsalai, one sees it rampant at Jugsalai level crossing and Gauri Shanker Road. The two localities constitute half the total volume of transactions in the entire city.

Like makta, daily lottery business is also flourishing in the city. Despite ban on sale of lottery tickets in Jharkhand, it is being sold as district police have turned a blind eye towards it.

The daily lottery ticket sellers are not many but the police have done little to bring these illegal activities and persons to book.

Deputy superintendent of police Dinesh Oraon claimed they are conducting raids whenever they get information either about matka operation, daily lottery or gambling of any form.

“If the people indulge in gambling in residential houses then how will we know about it. Still we are conducting raid, if we get any tip-off,” said Oraon.

He said matka and lottery sale are not banned here.

Oraon, who is also in charge of police control room (PCR), said people should co-operate and inform the PCR if they come to know about it.