BJP seeks to regulate liquor consumption

Tuesday, 23/06/2015

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/

Chandigarh : Within two days of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh raising the issue of drug abuse in Punjab, much to the embarrassment of the Akali leadership at Anandpur Sahib, state BJP leaders have restarted their campaign against drugs with the inclusion of regulation of liquor consumption on their agenda.

Member of Parliament and recently appointed national BJP vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna and assistant media adviser to the Punjab Government Vineet Joshi have — in letters written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal —pointed out to the almost round-the-clock availability of liquor in the state.

The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has decided to organise awareness races in every district headquarters of the state on the occasion of International Anti-drug Day on June 26. The Akalis have not taken kindly to such public programmes by the BJP earlier.

State BJP secretary and in charge BJYM Dr Subhash Sharma and Punjab BJYM chief Mohit Gupta said that the youth wing of the BJP would contact all NGOs, sports and youth clubs to take part in these races.

The Chief Minister has termed claims of high drug abuse and smuggling as a ploy to malign the state, especially the youth. His son and deputy chief minister has been more aggressive in defence. He had launched counter-dharnas in the state accusing the Centre of allowing drug cultivation in neighbouring states. The BSF was also accused of laxity in vigil on the border to check cross-border smuggling.

To regulate the sale of liquor at vends, the BJP leaders have sought the intervention of the CM in restricting its sale to a period between 12 noon and 7 pm.

An estimated 35 to 40 crore bottles of liquor will be consumed by Punjabis in this financial year (2015-16). The state had consumed about 34 crore bottles last year.

A growing number of panchayats in the state have also been fighting against liquor consumption, perhaps an indication about public sentiment against it.

This year, 107 liquor vends could not be opened in villages following objection by the panchayats. Last year, only 12 were closed due to public objection.

Avinash Rai Khanna said he was surprised to see liquor vends open as early as 5 am in the state. “When I travel from Phagwara railway station, I see the liquor vend operational at 6 am. It is flocked by labourers, rickshaw pullers,” he wrote to the CM.