The Anti-Liquor Struggle Committee has demanded that the State government run the liquor shops on its own in limited number in the State and not to see the liquor sales as a source of income and reduce the liquor availability in the State.
The Committee organized a debate on New Excise Policy here on Tuesday. Initiating the debate, Justice Ambati Laxmana Rao has said that everyone has to strive to strengthen the public opinion against the liquor flow in the State. The government has to abolish the belt shops in the villages immediately and not to give permissions to additional liquor production. The Committee will convene a meeting with the heads of all political parties in the State and prepare an alternative Abkari Policy and will submit it to the government soon, he said.
Former chief secretary Kaki Madhavarao, who presided over the debate, said that the Delhi Government was running liquor shops on its own and getting good results there. He alleged that the liquor syndicates and political leaders were earning thousands of crores of rupees by importing liquor illegally from other States at the cost of government income. He opined that liquor control movement would be run as a social movement with the moral strength.
Senior politician Ch. Rajeshwar Rao said that the political parties have to extend support with a strong will for the sake of liquor prohibition in the State. Women Organisations, Voluntary Organisations and Intellectuals have to fight unitedly for the sake of liquor-less society.
Former CBI director K Vijayarama Rao said that the government must run liquor shops on its own one in every mandal. The government has to put special efforts to control the spurious toddy, country made liquor and Gudumba by appointing special investigating teams. The government has to give constitutional powers to the Gram Panchayat to eradicate sale of country made liquor and spurious toddy in the villages, he said.
Anti-Liquor Struggle Committee’s State convener V Laxmana Reddy said that the Excise Policy should be prepared to discourage consumption of liquor year after year in the State. There should not be any liquor shop in the village without the permission of the Gram Sabha, he said, adding that the Committee will strengthen the Liquor Control Movement from State Level to Village level.
MLC V Balasubrahmanyam said that all the political parties have to take pledge to participate in the elections without using liquor. The government has to implement the policy to change the toddy to neera and not to give permissions to the liquor shops near the schools, temples, residential areas and on high ways.
Telugu Mahila president Shobha Hymavathi said that they have launched one crore signature campaign demanding that the State government control the liquor flow in the State.
Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) State president V Sandhya said that the respective parties have to remove their leaders, who have links directly or indirectly with the liquor, from their parties.
Senior journalist Dr Potturi Venkateshwar Rao said that the present government lost its moral confidence and it has to control the irregularities of liquor syndicates at the earliest. He opined that it was easy to control the liquor flow in the State instead of imposing prohibition on liquor sales.
IJU general secretary K Srinivas Reddy said that the media will extend its full support to the liquor control movement in the State.
Former MLA Katragadda Prasuna, APSA director S Srinivas Reddy, Ekalavya organization convener P Venugopal Reddy, AWAY Ornganisation secretary Dayanand, Dalit Stree Shakthi leader Jhansi, POW leader Jhansi, Jana Chaitanya Vedika treasurer P Sathyavathi, APSA coordinators V Shivarani, Ramesh were also spoke. (NSS)