Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is hanging by technicalities to extend out-of-the-way assistance to liquor barons and facilitate opening of outlets and bars ahead of the announcement of a liquor policy.
Making piecemeal announcements about the liquor policy clearly indicated that the LDF government and the liquor barons had entered into an unholy deal, Mr. Chennithala said here on Thursday.
Mr. Chennithala also met Governor P. Sathasivam and registered his protest at the LDF government’s moves to change the liquor policy, promoting proliferation of liquor outlets. The Supreme Court had upheld the UDF government’s liquor policy, but now conspiracy was on to overturn it.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chennithala wanted to know whether the Communist Party of India (Marxist) State leadership would stand by the party general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s pledge during the election that not a single bar that were closed down would be reopened.
The UDF government’s liquor policy had been widely acclaimed by the courts and people. Attempts were now being made to undermine this. The government was bound to disclose who had demanded the reopening of the bars.
For a party which maintained that it aspired for abstinence, its leaders should explain how they proposed to implement it by opening more outlets. “The LDF government is hanging by mere technicalities on the question of opening liquor outlets along the main thoroughfares and taking away the powers of local bodies to issue no objection certificate for opening bars,” he said.
The State would have no highways in future as a result of the State government’s attempts to subvert the apex court’s verdict. The government did not exercise the option of going in appeal against the High Court verdict, he said.
MBBS seats
Mr. Chennithala suspected that the State government was making moves to allow increase in fee in MBBS courses in private self-financing medical colleges. The fee had been steeply hiked for admissions to PG courses.
With regard to Vizhinjam, Mr. Chennithala welcomed a judicial probe into the deal betweeen the previous State government and Adani group. The decision on implementing the international container terminal was transparent and taken in the best interests of the State.
On the Chief Minister’s move to call meeting of Chief Minsiters of other States, Mr. Chennithala wondered whether any one would pay heed to Mr. Vijayan’s call other than the Tripura Chief Minister.
