70% fall in alcohol consumption in Andhra Pradesh: Lakshmana Reddy

Tirupati: There is 70 per cent fall in liquor consumption in the State due to government awareness campaign coupled with tough action against smuggling of liquor, said AP Madhya Vimochana Prachara Committee (MVPC) chairman V Lakshmana Reddy.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Reddy attributed the huge reduction in liquor consumption to the multi-pronged strategy of the government.

The liquor sale which was 361 lakh boxes during April to October in 2018 came down this year for the same period to 109 lakh boxes indicating 70 per cent fall in liquor consumption which he claimed as historic achievement.

Series of measures including intense campaign against liquor consumption, tactful cancellation of permit to carry three bottles of liquor from other States and strict action against smuggling of liquor saw the overall consumption steeply falling down in the State.

Reddy was all praise for State Enforcement Bureau (SEB) and lauded its commendable efforts to check smuggling of liquor from other States and illicit country liquor production and sale.

From May 16 to till date, SEB booked a whopping 50,000 cases, arresting 61,000 involved in liquor smuggling and illicit country arrack production and sale besides seizing 17,000 vehicles, 3.5 lakh litre unauthorised liquor and 3 lakh litre arrack and 50,000 kg of ganja he said claiming that the SEB saw bringing down liquor smuggling considerably.

The timely slashing of liquor prices by the government also added to the efforts in checking liquor smuggling.

This apart, the government decided to involve the nine lakh women SHGs having 90 lakh members in the massive awareness and liquor consumption reduction campaign in the State supporting MVPC efforts towards total prohibition, which is the ultimate goal of the government.

The women groups will also be involved in the de-addiction programme to be taken up from village level. The women will be given training in de-addiction programme and also in weaning people in villages away from alcohol consumption.

On its part, the MVPC decided to step up awareness campaign against liquor consumption, he said adding that essay-writing, elocution and drawing competitions are planned for school and college students to sensitise them against the ill-effects of alcohol consumption.

SEB officials including Assistant Commissioner Madhusudhana Rao, Superintendent Mahesh Kumar and others were present.