Opposition parties in Gujarat slam move to allow liquor use in GIFT City
The Hindu
The Gujarat government’s move to allow liquor consumption in GIFT City campus has triggered strong reactions from the Opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party as the parties have called the decision as a step to backdoor removal of prohibition in the State.
The Gujarat government’s move to allow liquor consumption in GIFT City campus has triggered strong reactions from the Opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party as the parties have called the decision as a step to backdoor removal of prohibition in the State.
On Friday, the State government announced a new policy in a radical departure of its stringent dry law to allow alcohol consumption at hotels/restaurants/clubs offering “wine and dine” within the International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) near the State capital Gandhinagar.
After the decision, the principal opposition party Congress and AAP deemed it an unfortunate move that could harm the youth and affect the law and order situation in the State where prohibition has been in place from the time Gujarat was carved out as a separate State in 1960.
Gujarat is among a few States where liquor consumption is illegal and the State has been stringent in implementing the ban on alcohol consumption while forgoing revenue taxes worth several thousand crore rupees annually as prohibition has created a parallel bootlegging industry owing to a nexus between police and bootleggers.
“This is a very unfortunate move. The State BJP government wants to remove prohibition in the State and they have started it with GIFT City. Tomorrow, they will say they want to remove liquor ban at the Statue of Unity area in south Gujarat and Tent City of Dhordo in Kutch to attract tourists as well as the Surat Diamond Bourse,” Leader of Opposition Amit Chavda said.
“This will ruin the youth while affecting the law and order situation in the State. Today, Gujarat is considered safe thanks to the prohibition law. The State is considered safe for women thanks to ban in alcohol consumption,” he added.
Mr. Chavda also termed the government’s decision as a major departure from the BJP’s commitment for prohibition.
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