Total liquor ban not possible in Rajasthan, says state Excise Minister

Complete ban on alcohol in Rajasthan is not a viable policy, state Excise Minister Shanti Dhariwal on Tuesday told the legislative Assembly.

In response to a question if liquor will be banned in Rajasthan, Dhariwal said, "After analyzing the representations received in connection with prohibition, a committee chaired by CS Rajan, then Additional Chief Secretary, was constituted on March 26, 2013, to consider all aspects of liquor ban. The committee had decided that the liquor ban is not a viable policy and alcohol policy is the only viable solution in Rajasthan."

The report was submitted by the committee on September 10, 2013.

Dhariwal said, "The current government does not have any intention of imposing prohibition on alcohol." He also informed that the Excise and Alcohol Policy has been declared by the state government, in which emphasis has been laid on the provisions of alcoholism.

Dhariwalalso said that that the liquor shops should be cared for about the time of opening and closing, strict action on advertisements promoting alcohol consumption, the prohibition of the sale of narcotics to minorities, drug addiction, wide publicity regarding side effects, penalty on alcohol consumption in public places, prescribed information at shops. Apart from prohibiting the display of advertisements, the prohibition of illegal and handicapped liquor, the excise policy is in force in compliance with the provisions of the Act which prevents theft of excise revenue, Dhariwal said.

The Excise Minister also said in the Legislative Assembly that whenever action is received by the department regarding complaints related to the operation of liquor shops, the action is taken immediately.

Dhariwal was responding to the supplementary questions asked in this regard by the MLAs during the Question Hour. He said that the department would be instructed to take action against those running more than one shop with one license.

He said that the then Excise Inspector Lokesh Kumar has been suspended from State service by issuing a chargesheet under CCA Rule-16 for irregularities in shop allocation in village Hadiya on National Raj Marg Jaipur-Agra in Mahuva Assembly constituency. Notice has been issued to the then-District Excise Officer, Dausa Laxminarayan Devanda under Rule CCA-17, Dhariwal added.

( With inputs from ANI )