During the electioneering, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had extensively campaigned in favour of closing down of belt shops and reducing liquor consumption. In fact, one of the files he had signed immediately after taking oath as AP chief minister was on closure of belt shops.
But now, Naidu seems to have forgotten his promise. His government has decided to increase the number of liquor shops to generate more revenue.
Fresh licences would be given to more liquor outlets in the coming days.
In the name of strengthening the liquor shops under Haryana model, the TDP government is trying to give permission to three additional outlets to each of the existing liquor shops to fill its coffers
The state has about 4,600 liquor shops and under the proposal, the number will increase to 13,800 which in a sense is legalizing belt shops in the name of getting extra revenue to the State.
YSR Congress party on Tuesday demanded that the State should reverse the proposal of giving license to 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 open three additional units to each liquor shop shows his dichotomy and we demand that the State reverse its proposal,” party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma told reporters here on Tuesday.
