Andhra Pradesh

Ready for prohibition: Chandrababu Naidu

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed his party’s willingness to implement either total prohibition or stringent regulation of liquor sale if voted back to power in Andhra Pradesh.

He, however, admitted that total prohibition could not be successfully implemented anywhere across the country. The rampant sale of ‘cheap liquor’ promoted by the Congress government through belt shops had turned liquor consumption into a social problem and there was a need to find a permanent solution to it. “We are prepared for either prohibition or stringent regulation of liquor sale. There should be a debate at all levels to evolve a mechanism to check the menace,” he said addressing the valedictory of the two-day convention of Telugu Mahila, party’s women’s wing on Tuesday. He lashed out at the government for encouraging liquor consumption to mobilise revenue that was, in turn, being “invested in areas where there is scope for kickbacks.”

The commitment of the government to address the problems faced by women could be gauged by the fact that the raids that were commenced on hoarders were abruptly stopped as there was pressure from ruling party leaders. The much touted Pavala Vaddi (loans at three per cent interest a year) was not helping women and the scheme was pushing them into debt trap as there was no effective mechanism to see that the loan amount was utilised properly.

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