by Michael Rodrigues and Flavin D’Souza, Team Mangalorean
Udupi: The Akhila Janajagrati Vedike has urged the government to scrap the proposal of issuing licenses to new liquor outlets. In a protest organized in front of the Deputy Commissioners Office at Rajathadri Manipal here on March 16.
Vivek Vicent Pias director and secretary of SKDRP said that the media reports indicate the Government of Karnataka in the 2016-17 budget will be announcing the issuing of licenses to 1500 liquor outlets in the state. Excise Minister Manohar Tahashildar had also proposed of opening up 1500 liquor outlets in the state in a press meet after he took charge as the minister but later the proposal was dropped following the protests.
The GOK has been serving the poor and deprived with social schemes but with the opening of 1500 liquor outlets the poor people in the state will suffer. The GOK has issued 9600 licenses to bars and liquor outlets. Government should propose a ban on the sale of liquor rather than opening new outlets, he added.
The Akhila Janajagrati Vedike under the guidance of Dr Veerendra Heggade has been striving hard to uproot addictions from the society.
The government should drop the proposal of opening new liquor outlets, he added.
N Ramanand, Naveen Ameen, Purushotham Bhat, Suma Shetty, Prathap Shetty, Appanna Hegde, Sathyendra Naik, Devadas Hebbar and others were present.