Baley Lama another Crore Pati

He had been buying Lotto tickets for a little over two years and had spent about Rs 2,500 during this time, winning small amounts from time to time.

Then on March 10 it happened.

Baley Lama, a small-time betelnut trader based in Hamiltonganj near Alipurduar, won Rs 1.17 crore for the six lucky numbers — 5, 12, 14, 26, 32 and 43 — he had chosen. Lama was handed over the cheque today by Playwin representatives here today.

“I had just entered my office when news filtered in that a ticket from Hamiltonganj had won the jackpot. I had bought the ticket the previous day (March 9) and had missed the draw programme on TV. All the way to the retail shop, where I had bought the ticket, I kept wondering who the lucky person could be .”

The jackpot combination had been put up and there was a crowd at the shop. “I remembered two of my numbers which tallied and I thought to myself that I had at least won Rs 50. Then I took out the ticket and couldn’t believe my eyes when, one by one, the remaining numbers matched as well,” he recalled excitedly.

The cheque was handed over to him at a small function here by Anurag Pathak, vice-president (sales) of Pan India Network Infravest Pvt Ltd, an Essel Group enterprise that runs Playwin, the Lotto game run by the Sikkim government. Playwin has four games in its stable — Thursday Super Lotto, Thunder Ball, Saturday Super Lotto and Friday Easy Lotto. It was the last of the four that won Lama his fortune.

“I plan to spend some money for the family (his parents, wife and two children). I’ll do some repairs of my house and maybe improve my business. I haven’t made detailed plans yet,” the 36-year-old said. “But one thing I definitely will do is to help poor families in the area I live in, providing their children with tuition fees and books.”

The Playwin online gaming has generated 72 crorepatis and about 2,750 lakhpatis in the five years since it started, said Pathak. Explaining the delay in handing over the cheques, he said the Sikkim government had to carry out several verifications before drawing it in Lama’s name.

A 10 per cent deduction will be made by the Sikkim government as tax, he added.

Source: The Telegraph