The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Demonstration against cheap liquor menace

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Tuesday, Feb 23, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Demonstration against cheap liquor menace

Staff Reporter

‘De-addiction camps will wean people away from social evil’

Action demanded against illicit liquor breweries
Rs 5 lakhs to kin of Amalapuram liquor victims sought

Kakinada: Various people’s organisations staged a demonstration in front of the Collector’s office here on Monday protesting against the Government’s failure to curb the cheap liquor menace and seeking adequate compensation to the kin of those who died after consuming illicit liquor in Amalapuram division recently.

Leaders of Human Rights’ Forum (HRF), All India Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (AIKMS), A.P State Civil Liberties Committee etc. alleged that Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) was being sold at exorbitant prices in the belt shops but the Government was sitting pretty on the huge income generated by it (IMFL).

The belt shops continue to act as a conduit to the cash–starved Government which was habituated to cracking down on the illicit liquor breweries only when an incident like the one in Amalapuram occurs. The Government has to basically dissuade the people from consuming liquor as it was a public health hazard but that never happens so long as the liquor sales generate the kind of revenue few other sectors do.

Successive governments have promised to impose total prohibition but they could not afford to lose the revenue while the gullible public fell prey to cheap liquor. Liquor had been a perennial source of revenue for the governments and contractors. `De-addiction’ camps would help wean away people from the socio – economic evil which assumed alarming proportions.

The main demands of the agitators are: payment of a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who died in Amalapuram incident, treatment in corporate hospitals for those who had their eye – sight impaired, provision of government jobs to eligible members of families of the deceased, closure of belt shops and stringent action against those running the liquor illicit breweries and persons behind them.

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Andhra Pradesh