Women’s organisations flay A.P. government for looking at liquor as principal source of revenue to fund welfare schemes

The women demand ban on liquor, which was ruining families and resulting in violence on women

Mahila Sanghala Aikya Vedika has strongly condemned the attitude of the State government in perceiving liquor, a major cause for violence on women and for the disintegration of families, as a principal source of revenue. A better liquor policy should wean away addicts from the social evil.

A protest was organised by women, under the aegis of the vedika, at the Gandhi statue, near GVMC, on Monday.

The vedika leaders said that the new government was also trying to use the revenue from liquor to operationalise the ‘super six’ promises made to the people, before the elections, and to run the government. While development and welfare schemes were not based on population-basis, the liquor shops were being allotted on population-basis to turn the citizens into liquor addicts.

They described the deaths due to alcohol addiction or consuming adulterated alcohol were both ‘murders by the government’. The government should show the same zeal in curtailing liquor sales, the way it was doing in the case of ganja. They wondered whether liquor was a ‘health drink’ or ‘medicine’ to promote the sale of liquor.

Liquor was robbing the family income, subjecting women to domestic violence and resulting in accidents. The women’s association called upon citizens to join in the fight for a ban on liquor.

Representatives of AP Mahila Federation, All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) and Chaitanya Mahila Sangham (CMS) participated in the protest.

Published - September 30, 2024 04:57 pm IST