YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said prohibition would be introduced in phases if his party was voted to power in the 2019 elections.
He was responding to the pleas of women, who complained that their husbands were getting addicted to liquor as they had no work following severe drought for the fourth year in succession.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy resumed his Praja Sankalpa Yatra from Chimakurthy, after giving a day’s break to enable the activists to take part in the picketing programme to press for Special Category Status (SCS).
The TDP’s promise to close down belt shops attached to licensed liquor outlets was only in paper, he said, adding the situation had turned from bad to worse with “door delivery” of alcohol to tipplers, thanks to the revenue-driven excise policy of the TDP Government.
‘No drinking water’
People were finding it difficult to get a few pots of safe drinking water in the fluoride-affected district, but liquor flowed freely in every nook and corner of the district, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
People poured out their woes to the YSRCP president as his padayatra covered the villages of Chimalmarri, Machikalapadu, Bandlamudi, Thoragudipadu, Pallamalli, and Godiprathivarpalem.
Responding, Mr. Reddy advised them to wait for restoration of the “Rajanna Rajyam.” When pastors sought an honorarium, Mr. Jagan said he would take care of their welfare on coming to power.
