Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami told the State Assembly on Friday that total prohibition in the State could be implemented only in phases.
Replying to S. Austin (DMK), who referred to the AIADMK’s election manifesto on this, Mr. Palaniswami said prohibition would be implemented only in phases to ensure that illicit liquor did not come up.
Taking a dig at the DMK for having announced land for landless agricultural labourers without knowing the reality, he asked how many beneficiaries benefited from the announcement.
“Promises made in election manifesto are to be implemented only step by step. They cannot be implemented within a specific period of time.. When we make promises in the manifesto, our intention is to implement them. But only based on the prevailing circumstances they can be implemented,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Earlier, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise P. Thangamani too pointed out that the promise in the election manifesto was only to implement prohibition of liquor in phases and there was no specific timeframe given to implement the promise.
When the DMK pointed out that State-run liquor shops were shifted to other places, after the Supreme Court order against such shops on the highways, instead of closing them, Leader of the House and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam pointed out it was in line with the court order.
Additional revenue
Meanwhile, the government said an additional ₹2,576.96 crore in revenue would be received due to the increase in excise duty of ₹10 on IMFL brands and ₹1 per bulk litre of beer. The revenue to exchequer from excise revenue and VAT for the year 2019-20 until February was ₹28,839 crore.
Mr. Thangamani announced that the State would conduct awareness campaigns against consumption of liquor and drunk driving by printing advisory messages — consumption of alcohol is injurious to health and be safe and don’t drink and drive — on liquor bottles at a cost of ₹3.50 crore and that 25,697 Tasmac retail vending employees will receive a pay hike of ₹500 a month at a cost of ₹15.42 crore to exchequer.
He announced monetary rewards worth ₹15 lakh to prohibition enforcement wing officials and local police who help in
seizure of smuggled rectified spirit, spurious and non-duty paid liquor.
Also, ₹5 crore would be set aside to provide financial assistance for rehabilitating persons who have been weaned away from illicit distillation and illicit liquor trade.
