Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

AIPJD criticises Govt. decision on beverages corpn.

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE May 30. The All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) today saw a vested interest in the State Government's decision to set up a separate beverages corporation to regulate sale of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL).

The party leader and former Assembly Speaker, Ramesh Kumar, told presspersons here today that there was no need for setting up a corporation to regulate the sale of IMFL when the State-owned Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) was already handling the liquor trade.

He said the idea was originally mooted by the Janata Dal Government to ensure that quality products were available to the consumers and to increase the excise revenue to the State.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that if the Government was sincere, it should have taken over distribution of arrack as it fetched Rs.1,200 crore annually to the Government.

Instead, the Government had chosen to regulate IMFL which yielded a revenue of Rs. 600 crore.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that the intention of setting up a corporation for regulating the sale of IMFL appeared to be to benefit distilleries owned by some ministers and also some others who were interested in promoting the liquor lobby.

The Hoskote MLA, B.N.Bachche Gowda, questioned the Government's motive in setting up the corporation, and said that it was only to oblige ministers who either directly and indirectly controlled distilleries.

He said that while he was not opposed to the setting up of a separate corporation for regulating liquor it should also bring under its purview sale of arrack which fetched double the revenue of IMFL.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• New Airtel tariff
• Kalam to open PES medical college
• Ittina launches new scheme
• Hitches will not hit Golden Quadrilateral Project
• Meet to throw light on ways to improve education system
• AIPJD criticises Govt. decision on beverages corpn.
• 1.11 cr. couples don't have separate rooms
• A bitter sweet scenario for girls

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu