To wipe out the liquor mafia from Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday proposed to set up Liquor Corporation. Party’s MLA from Sunam Aman Arora met Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana Kanwar Pal Singh seeking, through a Private Member’s Bill, to introduce ‘Punjab State Liquor Corporation Bill-2019’ for the same.
Arora sought the introduction of the proposed Bill in the coming Budget Session of Vidhan Sabha, starting from February 12, “to wipe out liquor mafia enjoying political patronage”.
Through the Private Member’s Bill, Arora sought to invite the Speaker’s attention to the Congress party’s manifesto prior to the Assembly elections with Capt Amarinder Singh making tall promises to the people of the state and the Finance Minister Manpreet Badal’s discourse in 2017 budget session.
Citing examples of various states, like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttranchal which had already implemented the proposal, Arora said that liqour mafia would be totally wiped out with the introduction of the proposed Bill. “This will not only eliminate the liquor mafia out of the state but also fill the government’s empty coffers,” he said.
“The proposed corporation should handle the retail and wholesale sale, purchase, distribution of liquor in the state. It must also ensure that the production of brew and spirit by the bottling plants and liquor manufacturing units is in proper order. Each bottle must bear the hologram and bar coding to check illicit sale and purchase of liquor,” he said.