Women aware of who will implement prohibition, says Anbumani

Pattali Makkal Katchi’s chief ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss during Ungal Oor Ungal Anbumani campaign in Krishnagiri on Thursday. —Photo: N. Bashkaran

Political parties jumping onto the “total prohibition” bandwagon ahead of the elections is unlikely to take the thunder out of PMK’s steadfast opposition to prohibition for the last 26 years, believes PMK’s chief ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss.

Speaking to The Hindu , on the sidelines of the Ungal Oor Ungal Anbumani campaign here - when asked if the feverish pitch against TASMACs had taken the edge out of the PMK’s unique selling point of total prohibition that gave the party a moral high ground, Dr. Ramadoss said, the women of the State were well aware of who would actually act on the promise when they came to power.

“DMK leaders would have to shut down the six distilleries that supplied to TASMAC. DMK leader M. Karunanidhi had promised six times that he would shut down liquor shops,” said Dr. Ramadoss.

According to him, unlike the others, the PMK was not merely championing for total prohibition, but also has it all figured out in terms of a policy.

“We already have identified alternative revenue sources to offset revenue loss from prohibition; rehabilitation of both alcohol addicts, and young widows of alcoholics; alternative employment for TASMAC employees; and ways to curb illicit liquor,” he said.

On the functioning of the State Election Commission, Dr. Ramadoss said that the party hoped the SEC would step beyond its functioning as a mere “post box” that conveys complaints to the Election Commission of India. The State Election Commission has immense powers, but it is not exercising it.

Dismissing the DMK as a formidable front in the elections, the PMK leader said the party should focus on meeting the people instead of engineering “deals and splits in alliances.”

Earlier, addressing the farmers, SHGs, and various interest groups here, he said, an IT corridor that would tap on the industrial potential of Hosur along Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri will be realised if he came to power.

Touching on key local poll issues of water harvesting of runoff from rivers into dams that would benefit both Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri, Dr. Ramadoss said, the Ennekopudur project and the Badethalavavu irrigation project would help conserve over 32 tmc of water that was being wasted as run-off.