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The decision to grant new licenses to many liquor shops in the state has sparked fresh controversy against the Assam government, with the opposition criticizing the move as a ‘failure of governance’.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government said the move was aimed at protecting the health of alcoholics by curbing the sale of illegal liquor and generating revenue, the Congress termed it ‘unnecessary’.
“In the first step, we have announced the opening of 20 liquor stores across the state. Ten of the former have been allotted to the new owners, and the process is underway to open all of them soon,” said state revenue minister Parimal. Suklabaidya.
He also said that the government is conducting a survey in all the districts to find out where there are few places to sell alcohol and where there is a lot of selling of illegal alcohol made in the country called ‘Sulay’. The state also plans to issue more liquor licenses in the coming months.
“There are places where there are no liquor shops within a distance of 25-30 km. People who drink alcohol in those areas use illegal liquor, which affects their health and can even kill them. The move to open new shops of wine is to ensure that people drink good quality wine,” said Suklabaidya.
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Suklabaidya said the move to open new liquor shops would also prevent the sale of liquor imported from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh, adding that efforts over the past few years have succeeded in curbing the menace, e.g. As liquor entering Assam from Arunachal continues
Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia singled out the BJP government for this and said, “The minister himself admits the failure of the state police and administration in controlling liquor in Arunachal Pradesh as well as their ability to stop the production and sale of illegal liquor in Assam. .”
“The action of the government is also against the principles of directives of the policy of the state contained in our Constitution, which asks the state to strive for the prohibition of alcohol, except for medicinal purposes,” he said.
Assam has around 1,200 licensed liquor shops selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), along with around 1,000 bars. There are also over 300 shops that legally sell traditional sweets. The state has 44 factories producing IMFL at present.
Saikia alleged that the government wants to issue new licenses with the sole aim of raising revenue and covering budget deficits.
“I call on people not to drink alcohol because it affects their families, their health and their budgets. But there will always be those who will continue to drink regardless of the side effects. What is the problem if the government earns revenue from the sale of alcohol to those who are addicted to drinking? Suklabidiya asked.
According to government figures, the revenue from the sale of alcohol has jumped all around ₹400 crore in 2016, when the first BJP-led government took over, nearly ₹3,000 crore in the last financial year.
The increase in revenue is also attributed to an increase in the tax on alcohol anywhere between 25% and 65% depending on the species.
In addition to opening new liquor stores, the government is also conducting laboratory tests on various traditional varieties prepared by indigenous communities in the region to produce more regulated products that can be sold legally. customers, Suklabaidya added.
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