The Lok Satta party today demanded an immediate review of the liquor policy in the Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh. Party president Jayaprakash Narayan rubbished the Rosaiah government's claim that maximising revenue from liquor sales is inevitable if it were to implement its Rs 1lakh crore-plus budget for economic development and social welfare.
"The government spent only about Rs15,000 crore a year on welfare schemes, while the poor people spent at least Rs 25,000 crore on consumption of liquor, arrack and `gudumba' (illicit arrack)," the MLA from Kukatpally pointed out.
He was speaking to reporters here after inaugurating a photo exhibition on the 16-day campaign launched by Lok Satta and its wings Mahila Satta and Yuva Satta in 16 districts of the state demanding that the government restrict liquor consumption through a series of policy initiatives.
"Andhra Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of being the number one state in India in liquor sales (Rs100 crore per day) and a government which is maximising the revenue from liquor (Rs18,000 crore a year)," Narayan rued.
The bureaucrat-turned-politician wanted the people to rise against the government's liquor policy and said that Lok Satta is prepared to train them in working for all-round development of the villages.
