Opposition, AASU criticizes Assam government's plan to open more wine shops

The opposition parties in the State and the AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) have slammed the state government's decision to open out additional liquor shops in order to bid on illegal country-made wine in the state.

The move comes after the state government decided to provide fresh licences for more wine shops in the state with the motive of curbing the sale of illicit liquor and generating revenue.

Speaking to the media, state excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, "We do not encourage consumption of alcohol but whosoever is drinking the person should not affect his health."

"Further a person who is a habitual drinker live and cannot leave without it, we would urge them to drink quality liquor and also contribute to the state's revenue."

The minister also claimed that in areas where wine shops are not available, people are drinking illicit liquor or that from Arunachal Pradesh.

"We have observed that places where no wine shops are available within a radius of 10-20 km, people are consuming either illicit liquor or that from Arunachal Pradesh", the minister added.

It is to be mentioned here that earlier the state cabinet decided to open 20 new wine shops. Further, the state government is also mulling to legalise the community liquors consumed by various tribes of the state by testing them in the laboratory and introducing an Act on the same.

Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia said, “The government’s move is also against the directive principles of state policy enshrined in our Constitution, which asks the state to endeavour for the prohibition of intoxicating drinks, except for medicinal purposes.”

Reacting strongly to the government's decision, AASU general sectary, Shankar Jyoti Baruah said, "The increase in liquor shops will destroy the new generation, the government has taken such a decision only to collect taxes."

Further, the Students' leader claimed that the government is not bothered by how the tax is being collected, legally or illegally.

"Nalbari which can be regarded as an educational hub, now we can see as many as 40 new wine shops," he added.

On the other hand, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said, "The government wants to keep the common people blind by drinking alcohol."

The MLA also alleged that instead of increasing the educational institutions, the government is merging them.

"The government has taken up two formulas, deprive people of getting an education by closing down institutions and merging them and make them drunkards so that they lose their thinking capacity and have blind faith in BJP," said MLA Aminul Islam.

Notably, according to government figures, revenue from the sale of liquor jumped from around Rs 300 crore annually in 2016, when the first BJP-led government took charge, to nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the last financial year.