Gandhinagar(Gujarat): With the death of 57 people after consuming spurious liquor at Botad in Gujarat serious questions are being raised about the policy of the state government that issued 19 lakh new liquor permits across the state generating revenue of more than one crore in this financial year only.
According to data presented in the state assembly, it has been revealed that the State government has earned a total revenue generation of Rs 20 crores in the last financial year of which around 3 crores has been from Ahmedabad and in Gandhinagar alone. The state has also revealed that more than one core has come from renewing liquor sales permits.
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Interestingly enough Gujarat is a declared dry state where consumption of alcohol is only allowed for medical purposes. According to state officials a liquor permit is available only for diseases that require the consumption of alcohol. For which a form needs to be filled from the Excise Department. The application of that form has to be presented before the doctor in the Civil hospital. After this, a committee of doctors does a health check-up and issues a certificate for which a challan has to be made in the designated bank.
According to the information received from the state home department, 419 new applications for health permits were received in Ahmedabad in the year 2017 and around 1041 petition was enacted. In 2018, as many as 226 new applications were received and around 2439 applications were renewed. In the year 2019-20, there were 1457 new applications and 3,644 applications were renewed.
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In the Survey report for the year 2019-20, a total of 33,343 women and 5,351 men from Gujarat claimed that they consumed alcohol which 68 women increased from the previous survey. Gujarat has been considered a liquor-prohibited state since its inception in 1960.
At least 57 people died and more than 90 people were hospitalised after the consumption of illicit liquor at Botad in Gujarat a few days back.
