Hyderabad: DC debates on Telangana, AP dependent on liquor revenue at cost of health.
Justice Chandra Kumar (retired) Vs T. Padma Rao
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Justice Chandra Kumar (retired) (former judge of the Hyderabad High Court)
Ban liquor for the good of mankind
Liquor should be banned and that is the only solution. The government argues that the sale of liquor provides it with good revenue in terms of excise duty and that the money is required to develop the economy. However, it is possible to have a robust economy even without selling liquor. If the government ensures that there are zero tax evasions, black money stashed abroad is brought back to the country and corruption is controlled in the government, it will be enough to maintain a good economy and the government need not sell liquor for it.
Not just this, the state government also has a responsibility to safeguard public health. The Directive Principles of State Policy clearly say that the State is responsible for raising the level of nutrition, standard of living and public health. Promoting consumption of liquor is directly in opposition to that.
It is known to everyone that liquor is injurious to health and no doctor has ever suggested that liquor will improve a person’s health.
It causes damage not only to the liver but also hampers the functioning of the entire body. Promotion of liquor by the government also affects poor people.
In poor households where a person is addicted to alcohol, a major share of the household income which should have been spent for betterment of standard of life goes into liquor. Liquor is also the reason behind perpetuating domestic violence, hampering of family bonds, couples getting divorced and children getting neglected.
With easy availability of liquor youngsters are getting addicted. As far as crimes are concerned, it appears that a large percentage of crimes are committed under influence of alcohol. Under its influence people lose their reasoning power, logic and sympathetic attitude. Liquor actually stimulates a person to commit crimes. Many deaths due to road accidents occur every year due to drinking and driving. If the government prohibits liquor it will also result in a decline in the crime rate. Another benefit of banning liquor is the large amounts of money which the government as well as people will save which they spend on curing diseases arising due to consumption of liquor.
Prohibition of liquor will help develop a nation of healthy people and a society with less crime rate. Is it not a good thing to achieve? It is sad that in a country where leaders like Mahatma Gandhi have taken birth, visualised an alcohol-free India and have openly spoken against the evil of liquor, its sale is being promoted by the government itself. The liquor trade is being supported and encouraged by politicians and businessmen with economic benefits in mind where as we tend to lose a lot more by selling liquor than prohibiting it.
Those in power have a responsibility and should have the will to do good for the people. Is liquor good for people?
Ban will only help smugglers
T. Padma Rao (Excise Minister, Telangana)
There is no dispute about the fact that the state government is earning good revenue through taxes on the sale of liquor of nearly Rs 10,000 crore per year. But, as a matter of policy, the Telangana government is not encouraging the sale of liquor to boost its revenue. Telangana state was formed just a year ago and we are still following the old excise policy formulated by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2013. The TS government is yet to come out with its excise policy.
The policy is currently at the drafting stage and will come into force from October 1. In fact, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has made it clear to us several times earlier that the health of people should be given top priority over state revenue.
He categorically stated that the health of the people should not be compromised even if the government loses revenue by way of liquor sales. The new excise policy is being devised in this direction. Though there are arguments that liquor should be banned by imposing ‘prohibition’ again, we all know very well what happened earlier, when this was done in undivided AP. It was proved beyond doubt that prohibition is not possible when liquor is available in neighbouring states.
Whenever governments imposed prohibition, it only benefited black marketeers, liquor mafia among others, who minted hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees, while liquor consumption has not come down in the state as was expected. It is in this backdrop, the government is allowing liquor business and trying to regulate it through permits and licences.
Implementing a liquor ban would put pressure on the police department due to largescale smuggling and black marketing. The police is already working under pressure and the ban will increase their load further. Therefore, it is not possible to ban liquor in the state under these conditions. The ban can be imposed effectively only if there is a popular demand. For this reason, we are trying to create awareness among the public against the ill-effects of alcohol.
The government has decided to rope in nearly 500 Telangana artistes, who will tour villages, conduct cultural programmes to create awareness on the ill-effects of liquor. It was also decided to make documentary films on these issues which will be screened in districts and villages. We will also set up alcohol de-addiction centres in all districts.
Most of the people in Telangana are falling prey to ‘gudumba’ (illicit liquor). It is for this reason; the government has decided to supply cheap liquor for '15 and Rs 30 to replace gudumba. Though the government will lose nearly Rs 600 crore excise revenue due to this cheap liqour, the CM insisted on this saying that welfare of people should be important than earning revenue. It is a fact that personal decisions like consuming alcohol cannot be curbed by legislations but by creating awareness among the public.
