Dissatisfied with the answer of Commercial Tax and Excise Minister Amar Agrawal over complete ban on liquor sale in the State, Opposition Congress members staged walkout over the issue from the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Wednesday.
“A detailed probe into the matter by a Committee which had been set up is underway and soon the government will decide in the matter”, the Minister said.
During the question hour, Congress member Bhupesh Baghel raised the issue of sale of beer in the state.
He demanded answer from the Minister that why the sale of liquor is decreasing in the state.
Whether it was because of the reason that government was forcefully selling a particular brand which is not in demand, he queried.
Baghel also queried why a particular brand of beer was on sale in state.
Regarding decrease in sale of beer, Agrawal informed that bars along highways were not given permission to operate this financial year and thus the number of bars has decreased.
It has been reduced to half from 250 to 125. Now, liquor is not easily available to people therefore the sale had decreased, the Minister added.
Charging that the State government was only interested in collecting revenue while ignoring health of the people of the State, Baghel further queried why when the landing price of beer is Rs 40, why it is being sold at higher price range of Rs 110-130IJ
In his reply, the Minister informed that license cost and duty is added to the landing price.
That is why the selling price is higher.
There is no addition to our new liquor policy; it had already existed previously, he added.
later, the Congress member questioned whether the Government was imposing liquor ban or not.
The Minister said, “I have repeatedly said that a Committee has been constituted which is studying pros and cons of the ban. A decision would be taken after its recommendation.”
Dissatisfied with the answer of the Minister, the Congress members staged a walkout from the assembly under leadership of leader of Opposition T.S. Singhdeo.