Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

‘PMK has intensified its campaign against liquor’

Udhagamandalam: The anti-liquor campaign of the PMK has been intensified, said the President of the party G.K.Mani here on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, he said that conferences of an apolitical nature exclusively to highlight the ill effects of liquor were being organised in various districts by the women’s wing of the party.

A liquor eradication conference will be held here on September 20.

Apart from asking the people to stay away from liquor, it will urge the government to close all the outlets of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).

Surveys have shown that if liquor shops continue to be patronised the way they were being done now, in another five years it would be hard to come across a sober youth in the State, he observed.

In consumption of alcohol, Tamil Nadu, which ranked third till sometime ago, was now heading the list.

Expressing concern over the alarming situation, Mr.Mani averred, “The situation must change.”

Apart from affecting the economic and physical well being of the consumers, the habit was causing social problems and making the roads dangerous.

In terms of road accidents caused by drunken driving Tamil Nadu was ‘Number One’. The number of young widows in some parts of Tamil Nadu was alarmingly high.

Though the government justifies the functioning of TASMAC outlets by stating that activities associated with illicit arrack should be kept out of the State, at many places moonshine was freely available.

If the government and the law enforcement agencies were sincere, illicit arrack could be stamped out.

One got the impression that the government was turning a blind eye to the activities of illicit arrack distillers.

To a query, Mr.Mani said that the policies of the Karunanidhi government regarding prohibition run contrary to the ideals of C.N.Annadurai by whom the DMK swears.

To another query, he said that the alliance at the Centre would continue.

Stating that in Tamil Nadu ideologies and policies have become irrelevant, he said that alliances struck at the time of the elections would be issue based.

So far the PMK has not held discussions in this regard with any party.

Lamenting that the State was experiencing an unprecedented power crisis, he said that Electricity Minister Arcot N.Veeraswamy must step down.

Steps should be taken on a war footing to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

The importance being given by the government to populist schemes like the Re.1 a kg of rice scheme was conspicuous by its absence in tackling serious problems like the power crisis.

The rice scheme would not influence the people at the time of the hustings.

It would be counter productive to the ruling party.

Adverting to local issues, Mr.Mani said that there was no move to shift the Pasteur Institute of India from Coonoor.

The occupation of Section 17 ‘jenmam lands’ at Gudalur should be regularised and the Price Sharing Formula in tea should be made more grower-friendly.

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