“We are eking out a living by brewing and selling Illicitly Distilled (ID) liquor for the past few decades. Now, we want to live a dignified life,” says Bhukya Lakshmi of Potanapalli village, an ‘expert’ in manufacturing arrack, urging officials to provide alternative source of income.
Banothu Ramulu, another resident of Chinna Thanda, said many people had ruined their lives, and a few, who were addicted to arrack, died. Many people were booked in arrack cases and were making rounds to the courts and police stations. He thanked ‘Parivarthana’ programme, aimed at bringing a change their lives, and appealed to the officials to provide jobs to the educated youth in the thandas (tribal hamlets).
Nuzvid MLA Meka Venkata Pratap Appa Rao asked the Revenue, Police and Excise officials to lift the cases against the Sugali (Lambada) tribal people and help them to start new lives. He appealed to the villagers to keep up their promise and not to lit the ‘battis’ (liquor brewing stoves) again.
Fulfil dreams of Gandhi
Eluru Range DIG K.V. Mohan Rao praised Krishna district Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Ravindranath Babu and Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) ASP Vakul Jindal for launching ‘Parivarthana’ programme in Potanapalli village in Chatrai mandal on Friday.
“Parivarthana will fulfil the dreams of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to put an end to liquor and develop villages. Police are planning to extend the programme to West and East Godavari and Rajamahendravaram police units soon,” Mr. Mohan Rao said.
Mr. Babu said that ‘Parivarthana’ would help in imposing a ban on liquor in a phased manned. As woman from Lambada tribe and SC community, involved in the illegal trade, came forward to give up the business, the programme would be a success, he said.
Police adopts villages
“The Krishna district police have adopted Chinna Thanda, Potanapalli and Pedda Thanda. Nuzvid DSP B. Srinivasulu will be the nodal officer and help residents in getting loans, jobs and government schemes by maintaining liaison with the officers,” Mr. Babu announced.
Mr. Jindal said hundreds of Lambada tribal families depended on ID liquor for the last four decades in the villages on Andhra Pradesh-Telangana borders. The locals agreed to stop brewing and selling arrack, after the police, Excise and SEB officials assured to provide alternative livelihood for them.
“We raided the houses in the thandas and arrested many villagers for their involvement in arrack trade. But, now we will help them as they gave up the illegal trade,” said Prohibition and Excise Deputy Commissioner Muralidhar Rao.
Chatrai MRO Janardhan Rao, MPDO Nageswara Rao, District Tribal Welfare Officer A.V.D. Narayana Rao and other officers assured to extend schemes, loans and provide land for SC and ST families in the villages.
