Atchannaidu flays CM for laxity over prohibition

Vijayawada: TDP State president K Atchannaidu on Saturday came down heavily on Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to keep his promise of implementing total prohibition in the State.

Pointing out that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has termed his party’s 2019 election manifesto as Bible, Atchannaidu criticised Jagan for turning liquor sales as a major money spinning entity for the State.

Addressing media conference at the State TDP office in Mangalagiri, Atchannaidu said that Jagan has made people believe that prohibition is one of the Navaratnas (nine diamonds). But instead of implementing prohibition, he had ensured making lakhs of crores through liquor sales during the last four years.

The TDP State unit president felt that Jagan did not fulfill even 30 per cent of the promises made to the people of the State while the assurance given to the people on total prohibition was not only completely neglected but the liquor sales has been turned into a golden goose which is now playing with the lives of women. Rubbishing the State government’s stand that hike in liquor prices will bring down the consumption, he said that there has been an increase in liquor sales every year during the last four years. Atchannaidu dared the Chief Minister to explain why the liquor sales in the State have gone up now when compared to 2020-21.

During Chandrababu Naidu’s five-year regime, the total revenue earned on liquor sales was a mere Rs 50,000 crore, while in the last four years of Jagan’s rule, the revenue obtained through liquor sales has gone up to a whopping Rs 2.10 lakh crore, he pointed out. Making it clear that soon after the TDP is back in power, a judicial inquiry will be ordered into the liquor sales, Atchannaidu said that the coming TDP government will ensure that quality liquor is available at reasonable prices besides imposing a ban on belt shops.

He said the TDP-JSP combine would decide on the future course of action after the completion of the ongoing agitational programme on the poor condition of roads in the State.