A day after the police cane charging the women and children who were protesting against opening of a liquor shop at Supela, the Congress slammed the State Government for its liquor policy here on Wednesday.
The State Congress president Bhupesh Baghel and the leader of Opposition TS Singh Deo in a joint statement hit out at the State Government for its liquor policy. According to them, when it came to the implementation of State’s liquor policy, there was a double stand. The Government on the one hand had constituted special teams of women christened as ‘Bharat Mata Vahini’ at villages to create awareness against liquor and also to minimise the use of liquor and on the other hand it opened mindlessly liquor shops even in residential colonies despite protest from the local residents, they stated.
The Same Government unleashed a reign of terror cane charging protesting women against opening a liquor shop at Supela, the leaders regretted. How could it be possible if the Government’s intention was genuine to cut down the consumption of liquor as it was propagating with ‘Bharat Mata Vahini’ teams, they questioned. According to them, opening liquor shops in residential colonies would not only create innumerable hardships of women, but also children and elderly alike.
The women and children faced difficulty in their free movement to markets, schools and other places. So is the case with elder people who could not even go for a trouble free walk, they said. Ignoring such serious concerns of the general public the Government was hell bent on opening liquor shops in residential colonies in connivance with the liquor mafia, they alleged. The Government, they said shirked its social responsibility and was only concerned about earning money at the cost of peace and serenity of the common man.
According to them, liquor mafia was running parallel government that permissions were granted for opening liquor shops in residential areas, close to schools and other public places much to the inconvenience of the people. The Congress, they said condemned the implementation of liquor policy in the State and urged the Government to keep the public welfare top on the agenda rather than the liquor mafia.