The State secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has termed unscientific the move to ban tapping and sale of toddy.
In a statement here on Monday, the CPI(M) leadership said that any ban on toddy would leave thousands jobless. The attempt was to use an observation by the High Court as an excuse to ban toddy. However, there was no scientific basis for the move. The Udayabhanu Commission, appointed to study the consequences of a possible liquor ban, had recommended that toddy be popularised since it was a light alcoholic beverage. While there was no doubt that stern action must be taken against the liquor mafia, it was equally important to safeguard the interests of a traditional industry, the CPI(M) secretariat pointed out.
The secretariat said the anarchy in the toddy industry was primarily due to the United Democratic Front government’s decision to take back the toddy shops from the workers’ cooperatives and to place them in the hands of contractors. The Left Democratic Front government had promoted the workers’ cooperatives to ensure supply of quality toddy. If the contractors were indulging in adulteration, the government should clamp down on them. It was also significant that those who spoke about the need to ban toddy were silent about Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and the connected lobbies, the statement pointed out.
The CPI(M) leadership warned the government that any blanket ban on toddy would result in illicit brewing and sale of spurious liquor in the State. All sections of people in the State would have to come together to defeat the move to ban toddy, it said.