PRADEEP KUMAR SUBUDHI
Bhubaneswar, June 27: After Gujurat and Bihar, can Odisha Government be able to ban liquor in the state? It is now a millon dollar question.
Recently, Odisha’s Minister for Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Nityananda Gond, expressed the government’s commitment to making the state liquor-free that has created lot of flutters in the state.
He emphasized that alcohol addiction has a detrimental impact on people’s lives and society, and steps will be taken to stop the sale of liquor and drugs.
However, it’s important to note that the excise department has contradicted this statement, asserting that there are no current plans to ban liquor in Odisha.
The state had previously enacted the Orissa Prohibition Act, 1956, but it has not been officially enforced.
The Orissa High Court dismissed a 2013 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking enforcement of the act, considering concerns that a complete ban might lead to an increase in illicit liquor and illegal drug use.
Earlier also, after BJP government formed in the state, rumours were afloat on social media about a state-wide liquor ban in Odisha, beginning August 15, Independence Day. It created a buzz that the government might ban India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor.
However, the state’s Information and Public Relations Department dismissed the claims calling it false and misleading, and urged people not to spread and share fake news.
So, while discussions continue, the economic impact and practical feasibility of a liquor ban remain subjects of debate.
