BJP State president K. Annamalai on Friday contended in Tiruchi that if Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was really keen on making Tamil Nadu drug-free, he should immediately announce a phased closure of TASMAC liquor shops.
Mr. Annamalai alleged that there was pressure on District Collectors every month to increase revenue from TASMAC liquor sales. The Collectors were holding review meetings every month to increase the offtake. Tamil Nadu and Kerala were the only States in the country which generated huge revenue from liquor sales, he claimed during an interaction with journalists.
As opposition leader Mr. Stalin staged a demonstration holding a black flag and wearing a black shirt demanding the closure of TASMAC shops, he pointed out.
“Without closing TASMAC shops in a phased manner, the drug culture prevailing in Tamil Nadu could not be eliminated,” he felt.
Earlier, addressing party farmers’ wing State-level executive committee meeting, he said the Centre had allocated funds to the tune of ₹ 1 lakh crore for agricultural infrastructure development. The allocation for Tamil Nadu was around ₹ 5,900 crore which the State government should focus on utilising it for improving infrastructure in the farm sector.
He said the farmers did not have the rights to fix the price for their agricultural produce. The three farm laws which were brought for the development of the farming community had to be withdrawn as the issue was politicised, he claimed. Claiming that there was a big change in the status of the farming community now as compared to the period before 2014, Mr. Annamalai said ₹ 6,000 was being provided every year to 19 crore farmers in the country.
