The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Malladi Subbamma warns of another agitation against `free flow' of liquor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 08, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Malladi Subbamma warns of another agitation against `free flow' of liquor

Staff Reporter

"It's time people rose to the occasion," says the social activist

HYDERABAD: Malladi Subbamma, an 82 year-old social worker, and V. Lakshmana Reddy, president of Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV), who were among those who spearheaded the anti-arrack movement a few years ago, on Sunday warned of launching a similar agitation if the Government failed to check what they called indiscriminate flow of liquor.

At a press conference here, Ms. Subbamma and Mr. Reddy said it was time people rose to the occasion.

"While total prohibition will not be entirely possible, we should make public aware of the ills of drinking and bring pressure on the Government to wipe out belt shops in villages," she said.

Ms. Subbamma regretted that while in the Opposition, political parties promised to impose total prohibition.

On assuming power, they would go all out to promote sale of liquor. Despite promises, successive Governments looked at the Excise Department revenues as indispensable, forgetting their social responsibility, she added.

De-addiction camps

Mr. Reddy said that it was alarming the way people were getting addicted to alcohol, ignoring family interests.

He recalled that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had spoken of conducting regular de-addiction camps in Government hospitals.

However, to this day, not a single camp was conducted, he added.

When asked how they would take the movement forward, they said that they would meet the Chief Minister and drive home the need for the Government to clamp down on belt shops in villages and strictly enforce rules that stipulated location of wine shops away from places of workshop and educational institutions.

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