Miss Alone
Prime VIP
When it comes to liquor, Maharashtra will not go the Bihar way. The Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government on Tuesday turned down a demand to impose a complete ban on liquor in the state, calling it impractical.
The state excise minister, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, said in the legislative council the government will consider strict action against those involved in making and selling illegal liquor, by imposing the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MDPA) Act against them. The government, the minister said, is also mulling making punishment under MPDA harsher for such offenders. At present, there is prohibition on liquor in three districts — Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli — and there has been a growing demand for a complete ban on liquor for many years.
The demand was revived in the upper house of the state legislature by NCP legislator Prakash Gajbhiye. He said the youth have destroyed their lives because of addiction to liquor.
Many families have been destroyed, raising the demand from women for a complete ban . But the government said it is “impossible to impose a blanket ban on liquor as the state gets Rs13,500 crore as excise”.
The minister said a complete ban on liquor cannot be a solution to the problem, but the government is serious about curbing illegal sale of liquor.
“We are considering imposing MPDA on three-time offenders of illegal liquor sale. The government is also deliberating to make punishment for such acts under MPDA harsher,” Bawankule told the upper house.
So far, the government has closed down 130 liquor shops across the state, after taking a referendum from women. “If 25% women of a village apply to close down liquor shops of that village, we conduct a voting. If 50% women of the village are in favour of the demand, the license of liquor shops gets cancelled,” the minister said.
The state excise minister, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, said in the legislative council the government will consider strict action against those involved in making and selling illegal liquor, by imposing the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MDPA) Act against them. The government, the minister said, is also mulling making punishment under MPDA harsher for such offenders. At present, there is prohibition on liquor in three districts — Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli — and there has been a growing demand for a complete ban on liquor for many years.
The demand was revived in the upper house of the state legislature by NCP legislator Prakash Gajbhiye. He said the youth have destroyed their lives because of addiction to liquor.
Many families have been destroyed, raising the demand from women for a complete ban . But the government said it is “impossible to impose a blanket ban on liquor as the state gets Rs13,500 crore as excise”.
The minister said a complete ban on liquor cannot be a solution to the problem, but the government is serious about curbing illegal sale of liquor.
“We are considering imposing MPDA on three-time offenders of illegal liquor sale. The government is also deliberating to make punishment for such acts under MPDA harsher,” Bawankule told the upper house.
So far, the government has closed down 130 liquor shops across the state, after taking a referendum from women. “If 25% women of a village apply to close down liquor shops of that village, we conduct a voting. If 50% women of the village are in favour of the demand, the license of liquor shops gets cancelled,” the minister said.
