Addicts have doubled in Cong rule; Babu, tells Governor

A delegation of Telugu Desam leaders led by party supremo  Nara Chandrababu  Naidu met  Governor E S L  Narasimhan on Saturday and submitted a memorandum  on the increased production, distribution and promotion of liquor products in the State.

The consumption of liquor  has reached  monumental proportion in the state. It has more than doubled in the  last six years specially after the Congress came back to power, alleged the TDP chief.

The  State  government, which promised phased implementation of prohibition has, in practice, squeezed the money from the poor making them still poorer.  Chandrababu urged the Governor to see to it that no wine shops  are set up  near the  schools, colleges, and    temples.  

To promote  sales,  the  government  is  allowing timings beyond  reasonable  limits, so he demanded  the  Government to implement  strict timings  for  the sale of liquor at  wine shops.  The wine shops are  being  converted into bars  causing  nuisance to the  public, the former  chief minister lamented.

Chandrababu urged the Governor to see to it that the belt shops are closed.It is unfortunate that the State government, which acts  as a welfare state is exploiting the weakness of the poor people. Almost one- third of the population in the state is addicted to alcohol which is a very sorry state of affairs. ''Why don’t you do something to stall this tragedy,'' he asked the Governor.

''It is very difficult to control prohibition, but if you try to implement prohibition, we will be very happy,'' Chandrababu  concluded.