Excise Minister Meets Pub Owners Over Drug Menace

Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud on Saturday held a meeting with the pub owners of the city following the allegations of a rise in drug-related cases in pubs.

The minister urged the pub owners not to encourage the use of drugs, and cooperate with the police to root out the drug menace.

He said that the State government was working hard to root out the menace of ganja, drugs and other narcotic substances, and that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had given clear instructions to the police that no one should not be spared in drug cases, even if the accused had relations with the ruling party, and had given the police a free hand to deal with any offenders.

He also said that Hyderabad was being recognised as a global city and attracting huge investments, and that it was everyone's responsibility to uphold its name and not tarnish its image.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Goud said that Telangana has become a gambling- and gudamba-free State, and that the government was committed to rooting out the menace of drugs too in the days to come.