Telangana will soon become a massive palm-grove. In order to wean away rural poor from the consumption of adulterated and illicit liquor, Chief Minister KCR wants to encourage todday(palm wine) and licensed cheap liquor in rural areas, in a big way.
As the Toddy is the most preferred drink in rural TS , KCR asked excise department to start planting Palm trees on a mission mode. In a meeting held to review the excise policy, the CM asked the officials to raise nurseries for palms. The only way to make available unadulterated and healthy kallu, the CM said, was to plant palms trees on the bunds of tanks and banks of canals. He said the department should plant at least 5 crore saplings. He said pure “drink” would have soothing effect on body and mind. “People, after a hard day’s labor would like to take some drink to relieve themselves of body pains.It is the responsibility of the government to ensure pure and healthy stuff,” the told he meeting. He asked the official to remove the country brew “Gudumba” from the state.
The new excise policy, which gives primacy to making pure booze available to people, is coming into force from October 1, a before Gandhi Jayanthi, when normally liquor sales are banned. “The illicit and adulterated liquor is playing havoc with the lives of poor destroying the families. Even though the TS is spending Rs 28,000 crore on welfare of the poor, the illicit liquor is militating against the objective of these programs. Let us eliminate this menace and provide the poor with healthy, pure and cheap booze,” he said.
