A joint meeting of the women’s associations on Thursday demanded that the state government come up with restricted liquor policy. They wanted the government to keep the shops open from 11 am to 8 pm with one dry day a week.
The meeting was attended by AIDWA state secretary D Ramadevi, NFIW state general secretary P Durga Bhavani, AICC member Sunkara Padmasree and POW leader P Padma, in Vijayawada on the day. The women forum wanted the state government to restrain from opening liquor shops near schools, temples or places of worship and bus stands.
They also wanted the state government to spend 2 per cent of the total revenue from the liquor on anti-liquor campaign in the state. They wanted the government to open deaddiction centers in every Primary Health Center across the state.
The government should stop depending on the revenue from liquor sales to run the show. It should plan to reduce the liquor sales by reducing the number of shops every year, the forum wanted the government. The government should not allow belt shops or lose sales at the liquor shops. It should not permit consumption of liquor at the liquor shops, the forum wanted the government.
The women wanted the NDA government in the state to follow the 2017 cabinet resolution where it was decided not to open liquor shops if women oppose it. The women wanted the government to clarify whether the government was committed to this resolution or will go back.
The women also wanted the state government to make public the reports of the officials who studied the liquor policy in various states. The women alleged that the officials have reportedly given a paper hailing the liquor policy of the neighbouring Telangana state. The women wanted the government to make public all those reports.
The women also wanted the government to make public whether it was to promote the consumption of liquor or discourage the consumption. They expressed concern over the increasing dependence of the state governments on the liquor sales. They asked the NDA government to clarify whether it was also depending on the liquor income to run the government.
