Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday demanded that the State government control the sale of liquor in the State.
He alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was trying to run the State through income from the sale of liquor, and that the State government was shifting the burden of repayment of the State's loans onto the shoulders of the people by increasing the prices of liquor.
Vikramarka said that the State government would earn an income of Rs 25,000 crore every year from the sale of the liquor, and that that was incentivizing it to make the people slaves of liquor. He demanded that the State government instead immediately close the belt shops, permit rooms and liquor shops located on the highways of the State, and roll back the increase in the prices of liquor.
He warned the government that the Congress would launch a statewide agitation if it did not roll back the increase in the prices.
Yes, it is not clear why the Congress wants liquor prices reduced if it wants people not to be freed of liquor addiction.
Vikramarka also mocked the statement of finance minister Harish Rao that there was no impact of the economic slowdown on the State, asking why else the government was trying to make more money from liquor sales.