In a fresh salvo shot at Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the State Congress president Y.S. Sharmila on May 4 (Saturday) asked him to answer her ‘nava sandehalu’ (nine doubts) on YSR Congress government’s prohibition policy.
In a letter addressed to him, Ms. Sharmila asked him to explain why he had failed to implement the promised total prohibition in the State. “You had said that you will come back to ask for their votes in the next elections only after implementing total prohibition in three phases. What happened to that promise?” she asked.
The excise revenue had in fact increased from ₹20,000 crore to ₹30,000 crore, she pointed out, asking if that does that not translate into increase in liquor sale.
“You had said in the past that earning revenue through liquor sale means making money at the cost of people’s health,” she said, asking if the YSR Congress Party government was doing any different.
Citing the new and ‘cheap’ brands of liquor sold in the State, Ms. Sharmila said they posed grave health threat to the consumers, who were mostly from the poorer sections of society.
She wanted the Chief Minister to explain the logic behind handing over the responsibility of implementing welfare schemes like Cheyutha, Aasara and Amma Vodi to the State Beverages Corporation.
She also wanted Mr. Jagan to explain why Andhra Pradesh was in the first position in drugs and narcotics seizures and pointed out that 20.19 people were addicted to drugs in the State.
