With an eye on Assembly elections this year, the state government is planning to impose a ban on liquor across the state and has formed a five-member committee to draft recommendation and submit its report within six months to the government.
The financial department said in a circular that the committee has been asked to minutely study the experiences of Haryana and Andhra Pradesh states which had too banned alcohol. The committee will examine what forced these states to withdraw the ban later.
Sources said the move is a result of CM Ashok Gehlot’s recent meeting with ex-MLA Gursharan Chabra. The MLA was sitting on fast unto death demanding ban on liquor. He ended his fast after an assurance by the CM.
Interestingly, while replying to a question to an MLA in Assembly recently, excise minister Rajendra Pareek had said banning of liquor is impractical and it failed in states wherever imposed.
The finance department too had shown contradictory intentions in its two circulars issued two days ago. In its first circular the department constituted the committee and two months deadline was given to make recommendations on banning the liquor. Same day the department issued another amended circular saying that the committee should be given six months period to give its recommendations saying two months period is insufficient to make recommendations.
src: Daily Bhaskar