Reopening liquor stores might prove more disastrous than virus

States, who were facing a tough time due to lack of funds with no help from the Centre, readily agreed to reopen liquor stores. However, this move might prove costly, as all physical distancing norms have gone for a toss at liquor stores, and alcohol, which has wrecked many lives in our country, has found a way back into the society.

Hyderabad:At a time when many sectors were already suffering due to economic recession like situation, the sudden attack of COVID-19 has added to the misery. All industrial and service sector activities stopped, resulting in huge loss of revenue to the government treasuries.

At the same time, there have been demands that the Centre, which is leading the fight against COVID-19, must also bail out the states with economic stimulus. The central government, which has been deaf to these requests, recently allowed opening of liquor shops with certain conditions.

The loss of revenue to the states with the closure of liquor shops for nearly a month and a half was estimated to be around Rs. 30,000 crores. More than 20 per cent of the incomes of the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka governments and 15-20 per cent of the budget of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Telangana is derived from the Excise Department.

Compared to the Centre, the states have been bearing one-and-half time more financial burden and shouldering five times more employees, and revenues from alcohol have been a key component of the states' budgets for decades. In the absence of any financial support from the Centre, the states have eagerly accepted the opportunity by opening liquor shops.

To make good use of the opportunity to offset some of the deficit, Delhi has increased 70 per cent, Andhra Pradesh 75 per cent, Telangana 16 per cent and West Bengal 30 per cent on the existing rates of liquor. In view of record sales with queues of buyers for kilometres, the alcohol industries are demanding that the distilleries be allowed to work more shifts to meet the increased demand.

Read:Alcohol may put people at increased risk of coronavirus: WHO

Who will answer the questions raised by the society, as to why all the positive results achieved during the 40-day lockdown are now being wasted?

The harsh reality is that COVID-19 is a disease with no cure so far, but the alcohol addiction of nearly 16 crore people in the country has been like an epidemic for millions of families inflicting untold miseries on them. In September 2018, the World Health Organization reported that alcohol contributes to 2, 60,000 untimely deaths in India annually.

Alcohol, which kills 712 people on an average daily, is contributing Rs 700 crore every day to the governments.

While medical experts say that consumption of alcohol causes nearly 230 diseases, the sociologists are worried that due to this alcohol epidemic many families and children will be deprived of peace and happiness. The country-wide excise income, which was Rs 28,000 crores in 2004-05 has long back crossed a ten-fold increase.

It has also multiplied the misery by ways of social devastation, rendering countless children orphans and young women widows, with untimely deaths of young men, which no money can substantiate.

As nature showed signs of healing during the lockdown, millions of families heaved a sigh of relief. With no liquor source, many addicts improved their health and lifestyle during the house arrest in lockdown. With the opening of liquor shops, the norms of physical distancing have also bee thrown out of the window.

While doctors are repeatedly cautioning that people with chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and co-morbid conditions are very prone to COVID-19, why this decision of allowing liquor, which will only contribute to spread of this pandemic in these critical times? The government’s decision to open doors to the alcohol devil may likely prove to be a greater disaster than COVID-19.

Read:Fresh returnees from abroad may opt for paid quarantine, isolation facilities: Health Ministry