Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

CPI activists lay siege to Excise office

An activist of CPI being offered water after he fell during a scuffle with police in Guntur on Monday.

GUNTUR: Activists of Communist Party of India and its affiliated unions laid a siege to the District Excise and Prohibition Office here on Monday protesting against the Excise policy of the State Government.

Even as the members and police were engaged in an intense scuffle, a few members of All India Youth Federation fainted in the melee charging up the whole situation. A sizeable number of women were present during the demonstration.

Party district secretary Muppala Nageswara Rao and city unit secretary Jangala Ajay Kumar alleged that excise constables tried to assault the activists who were holding a peaceful demonstration outside the office.

The police, however, managed to foil the attempts of party workers to gate crash into the office. Circle Inspectors K. Seetharamaiah and Madhusudana Rao manned the bandobust.

Deputy Commissioner, Excise and Prohibition, D. Bhaskar, who came out of his office, urged restraint and conveyed his apologies.

Earlier addressing a meeting, Mr. Nageswara Rao accused the State Government of encouraging the consumption of cheap liquor in a bid to fill up its coffers.

Health hazard

The malicious intention of the State Government could be gauged by the fact that it had fixed a revenue target of Rs.10,000 crore. The illegal and rampant sale of liquor in belt shops could have a hazardous effect on the health of daily wagers and peasants, he added.

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