Date:05/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/05/stories/2009010552230500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

New forum for prohibition

HYDERABAD: A ‘Joint Forum for Liquor Prohibition’, with representatives of 35 people’s organisations and V. Lakshmana Reddy, president of the Jana Chaitanya Vedika as convener, was formed at a meeting here on Sunday.

The forum resolved to exert pressure on political parties to ease the hold of liquor in 2009 elections and create awareness among people in this regard. Justice A. Lakshmana Rao, former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, who is president of the forum, was the chief guest at its first meeting.

He called upon intellectuals, artists and media personnel to get involved in the campaign.

Mr. Reddy, K. Prasuna, former MLA, S. Srinivas Reddy, projector director of NGO Association for Promotion of Social Action (APSA), and Kusuma Rao, gynaecologist, were among the speakers.