The city witnessed a series of protests against the new excise policy announced by the State government recently. The opposition parties – TDP and CPI -- and voluntary organisations like Rashtra Dalita Sena (RDS) registered their protest on Monday.
The TDP workers burnt an effigy in front of Excise office here. The CPI activists also staged protest in front of the Excise office separately while the RDS dashed a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Highlighting the negative impact of liquor consumption and its business, the parties demanded that the liquor trade not be made a major source of income for the government.
The new excise policy, which added 617 new shops to the existing 6,596, will worsen situation.
The decision to allow the wine shops to function from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. would increase the crime rate in the State. The atrocities against the women would also increase.
The age limit for liquor consumption was minimum 25 years in Delhi. The State government, however, made it 18 years, they pointed out.
The government was indifferent to the agony of thousands of families which were ruined financially due to liquor. It issued two GOs 357 and 358 on the new excise policy. The targets to increase revenue through liquor sale would ruin thousands of families. they said, and demanded immediate removal of belt shops, withdrawal of permit rooms.
Mylavaram MLA and TDP district president Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, TDP Vijayawada (East) in charge and Gadde Rammohan Rao were present.
The CPI city secretary Donepudi Sankar, and ex MLA Sheik Nasar Vali were present at CPI dharna camp. RDS state general secretary D. Prem Kumar and others in their memorandum said that the people would teach a befitting lesson if the government did not withdrew its anti people policy.
