YSRCP Flays TDP For Permitting New Liquor Shops

Condemning the TDP government for its move to increase the number of liquor shops to generate more revenue, the YSR Congress Party has demanded that the State reverse the proposal of giving licenses for new liquor outlets.

"While N Chandrababu Naidu went to town after town campaigning that he would close down all the belt shops, the latest proposal to give permission to each liquor shop to open three additional units shows his dichotomy, and we demand that the State reverse its proposal," Party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma told reporters on Tuesday.

In the name of strengthening the liquor shops under the Haryana model, the TDP government was trying to give permission to three additional outlets to each of the existing liquor shops to fill its coffers, which was not in good spirit, and which would affect the poor and middle class families, she alleged.

The State had about 4,600 liquor shops, and under the proposal, the number could increase to 13,800, which in a sense was legalizing belt shops in the name of getting extra revenue to the State.

"We deplore this act of the TDP government, and demand that it drop the proposal of opening more liquor outlets," she said.

When asked about the status of Konathala Ramakrishna in view of the reports appearing in media, she said, "As far as my knowledge goes, he is still with our Party, and differences, if any, would be sorted at the Party forum." (INN)