Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) Director A. Ramesh Reddy on Sunday observed that arrack-free Andhra Pradesh is going to be a reality soon as more and more villages, where brewing of illicit liquor is common, have shown a change in the last few months, thanks to a campaign taken up by the police.
The SEB chief was interacting with the residents of Pedda Harijanawada hamlet in Karveti Nagaram of GD Nellore Assembly constituency after launching ‘Operation Parivartana 2.0 – Awareness on evils of arrack’ programme.
This hamlet declared ‘arrack free’
The police personnel had undertaken a four-month-long awareness campaign urging villagers to shun brewing of illicit liquor at Pedda Harijanawada. Their efforts did not go waste, as the elders and people’s representatives have now declared the hamlet “arrack-free”.
Mr. Ramesh Reddy said that as a gesture of reciprocation, the village would be adopted by Superintendent of Police (Chittoor) Y. Rishant Reddy. About 1,000 people from Karveti Nagaram and Vedurukuppam mandals took part in the campaign.
Focus on alternative sources of income
The SEB director said the activity has affected and destroyed many families in both urban and rural areas. “Consumption of arrack is one of the main reasons for fatal road accidents. To eradicate this menace, the police are forced to book cases against the violations under PD Act. Due to this, a gradual change is dawning on people of several villages across the State. Several families dependent on the illicit liquor trade are now turning to government welfare schemes and trying their luck with self-employment schemes and other decent sources of income,” Mr. Ramesh Reddy said.
Chittoor SP Y. Rishant Reddy said that the district was fast moving towards winning the tag of “arrack-free Chittoor”.
Role of police
Compared to last year, several villages in Gudipala, Vedurukuppam, and Karveti Nagaram mandals were now free from arrack making. “At first, we tried raiding and inspecting suspected dens. This was followed by friendly interaction with the villagers. The police are guiding the villagers on how to get the benefits of government welfare schemes. Several youths can get jobs in the private sector with the guidance of police,” the SP said.
The officials said that the women should be at the forefront to inform the police about the prevalence of illicit brewing in their villages. Later, sports kits were distributed to the students and youth at the event.
