The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Hooch tragedy exposes hollowness of prohibition policy”

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Saturday, May 24, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Hooch tragedy exposes hollowness of prohibition policy”

Special Correspondent

Ramadoss demands judicial inquiry into the tragedy

S. Ramadoss

CHENNAI: “The recent hooch tragedy which claimed 54 lives in Hosur has exposed the hollowness of the government’s prohibition policy,” Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S. Ramadoss said here on Friday.

In a statement, Dr. Ramadoss said the tragedy had proved wrong the government’s argument that it was running IMFL shops to eliminate illicit arrack and to avoid hooch tragedy in the State.

There was no difference between the two as illicit brew killed instantly, while IMFL was a slow poison. Both should be banned. Just because it was getting good revenue, the government should not run liquor shops. It should find alternative ways of revenue generating measures. For this, it should convene an all-party meeting and evolve a consensus opinion on reintroduction of prohibition in a phased manner in the State.

Stating that the PMK team led by its president G.K. Mani had shocking details about the tragedy, Dr. Ramadoss said according to the team’s report, illicit arrack smuggled from Karnataka and locally brewed liquor were freely available in Hosur and the local police were aware of it.

Demanding a high-level judicial inquiry into the tragedy, Dr. Ramadoss said the inquiry should probe into the background of the tragedy and the alleged police involvement. The government should not shy away from its responsibility by saying that the PMK was finding fault with each and everything

As a majority of the victims were poor, the government should provide sufficient relief to the bereaved families. As the government was partly responsible for the tragedy, it should give a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families, he added.

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