Prohibition promise thrown to winds, alleges TDP state president K Atchannaidu

Mangalagiri: TDP state president K Atchannaidu on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy explain to the women of Andhra Pradesh as to why his government was not implementing his promise on total prohibition in the state.

Atchannaidu said that the government has forgotten all its commitments on the health and financial safety of the poor families since it was heavily dependent on the huge revenue from liquor sales. The women of AP would not forgive the Chief Minister and they would teach a big lesson at the earliest opportunity.

In a statement here, the TDP leader asked as to why the Jagan regime was increasing the number of liquor shops when it promised to introduce total prohibition in a phased manner. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who promised to ban liquor totally, has eventually turned AP into 'Madyandhra Pradesh'. New permissions were given for opening 90 liquor shops in towns and cities in the name of walk-in shops.

Atchannaidu said that already, over 21 walk-in liquor stores started selling liquor in different parts of the State.

Another 300 shops are going to be opened in the name of tourism facilitation. The TDP leader said that the YSRCP government did not spend a single rupee to improve tourism infrastructure to attract visitors to the state in the past 26 months.

However, it was aiming at increasing liquor sales in the name of tourism liquor shops. Without any shame, the state government took Rs 25,000 crore loans by pledging excise tax. It was clear enough that the YSRCP government was increasing liquor revenue in order to make repayments on the heavy loans their regime had taken.

Apparently, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was overjoyed at the huge revenue coming from the liquor sales. But, the fact was that the average woman had made up her mind to give no second chance to Jagan, he claimed.