Hyderabad, June 11: While conceding that total prohibition was ‘impossible’ to implement, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the State Government to restrict the sale of liquor.
Speaking to reporters here today, Naidu faulted the government for `encouraging’ consumption and said this would be ruinous for society.
Asked whether he was mooting total prohibition in the State, Naidu said that would be impossible to implement. However, the State should take measures to restrict sales.
He suggested that the government close belt shops, fix times for bars and allot only one liquor shop per contractor to prevent liquor syndicates from becoming mafias.
Naidu pointed out that whereas the State Government was spending Rs 12,000 crore on the entire gamut of welfare schemes, income from Excise alone amounted to Rs 15,000 crore.
Criticising the government for reintroducing the old system of allotting liquor shops, he said: “Some Congress leaders even acquired 100 to 500 shops after the recent auctions.”
He, however, did not lay the blame solely on Congress persons. He admitted that some of his party workers too had participated in the auctions. Ultimately, however, the fault, he said, lay with the State Government and its haste to make money.
Thanks to the Excise policy, the government was generating money, Congress leaders were pocketing some and breweries were making huge profits, Naidu said.
The losers were the poorer sections of society. The health of the drinkers and their family finances were being ruined.
Naidu demanded that the State release a white paper spelling out the ills of liquor.
He said TDP would launch a massive agitation against liquor sales with the help of women groups, NGOs and likeminded political parties.
——Agencies