Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, December 23: People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today came down heavily on the Parkash Singh Badal government in the state for promoting ‘drink and be merry’ culture by virtually forcing the liquor contractors to open unauthorized vends to sell the allotted quota while the state is already facing the scourge of addiction. He said health minister Surjit Kumar Jayani has further put official stamp on this policy by saying liquor drinking is not addiction.
“Going by the information available from all over the state, the liquor contractors have been signaled to sell entire quota allotted to them even if they have to open unauthorized vends. Each authorized vend is now also running unauthorized vends to make liquor available virtually at the door steps of the people. The sale of liquor this year is 25 per cent less than the allotted quota on which excise is charged. Excise department is with deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal”, he said.
He pointed out liquor consumption in Punjab was among the highest in the country where drug addiction has surfaced as the biggest problem. The former finance minister said the tendency over the years has been to mop up maximum revenue from excise by increasing quote. Punjab is having more liquor vends than hospitals and dispensaries. The trend is worrisome, he added.
Manpreet said this trend in the government amounted to playing with the lives of the people as Punjab was the only state that was encouraging liquor consumption to increase revenue without realizing its long term effect on the health of the people.
He said it was ironic that on the one hand, the ruling party leaders describe Punjab as the land of Gurus, sages and seers and on the other hand, the same very leaders promotes the culture of ‘piyo te jio’. He pointed out even the judicial intervention against liquor vends functioning on the highways continued to be violated with impunity with the connivance of the officials.
