Hyderabad, July 25: Lok Satta president Jayaprakash Narayan today demanded that the state government consider banning the sale of liquor and cancelling licenses to liquor shops in the state. He inaugurated a photo exhibition of Lok Satta’s agitation taken up in various districts protesting against liquor sale, at the party’s office here today. Photographs of liquor agitation by party workers were displayed in the exhibition.
Speaking to media persons, Jayaprakash Narayan said the state government earned Rs 18,000 crore income through auctioning of liquor shops. The income, which was obtained from liquor auctions was more than the government’s budget allocations on welfare schemes, he said.
“The government spends Rs 5,000 crore on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Rs. 3,500 crore on civil supplies, Rs 1,600 crore on power subsidy, Rs 2,300 crore on pension schemes and Rs 1,000 crore on Indiramma Housing scheme which amounts to a total Rs 13,400 crore per annum while getting Rs. 18,000 crore from the excise department,” he said.
–Agencies