Emerging out of the one-to-one meet that lasted 10 minutes, Jamir told The Indian Express that there was no scam in the Nagaland lotteries. ``The talk of a scam is a humbug,'' he said.

However, Jamir disclosed that the CAG report would be placed before the Assembly (when it is convened in July) and it would then be referred to the state Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The move, on the face of it, would scotch some of the criticism concerning the Nagaland lottery, but some observers in the North Block view it as yet another ``dilatory tactics'' on the part of the state government to escape scrutiny by a more powerful body, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). As one of them held, ``the PAC may takeits own sweet time in going through the CAG report. The delay would obviously blunt the impact of its findings. And while the PAC is at work, it would justify the state government's opposition to let the CBI move in and take charge of the investigations.''

Another big worry of the North Block is that in the Opposition-less Nagaland Assembly (all the 60-odd MLAs are Congressmen), the issue of Nagaland lottery would get a hasty burial if there is no effective intervention by New Delhi.

The state lottery is not the only controversy Jamir is saddled with curently. Recently, the North Block had directed the Nagaland DGP to probe allegations of the state machinery funding a particular militant group in the North-East.

Jamir, when asked about it, maintained that extortion was going unabated in the state and almost all had fallen victims to it. He, however, denied the allegation that the state itself had handed over money to any militant group.

Jamir said his talks with Advani concerned mainly the law andorder situation in Nagaland. ``We have asked for more vilage guards (to tackle militants and extortionists),'' he said.

Early last week, Jamir had met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He is believed to have built up the argument -- before both Vajpayee and Advani -- that none from the Nagaland Government is involved in the alleged lottery scam.