Take initiative on total prohibition: Baalu to Ramadoss

Chennai, Mar 2 (UNI) Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu today urged PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss to take the initiative in exerting pressure on the Centre for a policy decision on total prohibition of liquor in the country.

Responding to Mr Ramadoss' plea for total prohibition in Tamil Nadu, the senior DMK leader in a statement here said ''if the Centre could be convinced on evolving a policy in this regard, the DMK will welcome it.'' Referring to the PMK leader's claim that he had alternative plans to meet the state's revenue loss of Rs 10,000 crore in the event of prohibition, the Minister said ''prohibition is just not confined to Tamil Nadu and it's not just about (losing) revenue. When liquor sale is allowed in the country, prohibition in the state will lead to manufacturing of illicit liquor,'' he said.

''In fact, former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran had even written an article in a Tamil weekly, in support of revoking total prohibition in the state when he was in power. He had cited the arrest of two lakh persons involved in selling of hooch,'' Mr Baalu recalled.

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