Congress lays out plans for total prohibition

While the DMK manifesto is silent on prohibition, its ally, Congress, has come out with detailed plans for total prohibition. In its Assembly election manifesto released on Tuesday by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri, the party has even promised a Ministry for prohibition.

The manifesto pointed out that the Congress had adopted an uncompromising position on prohibition as long as it was power in Tamil Nadu (until 1967). “Prohibition was in force when the State’s revenue was less than ₹100 crore. Since the revenue has increased to ₹1.33 lakh crore now, there should be no hesitation about implementation of prohibition,” it said. The Congress proposed a committee of experts and officials to study the ways to offset the loss caused by closure of liquor shops. “The numbers of shops will be closed in phases until total prohibition is announced.” Besides opening de-addiction centres in taluks, the manifesto promised to act against village administrative officers, police officers and panchayat presidents if illicit brewing was found in a particular village.