YSR wants tough action on illegal liquor vends

Hyderabad, Nov 6 (UNI) Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy directed Prohibition and Excise Department Commissioner Hiralal Samariya to take stringent action as per law against illegal sale of liquor by conducting regular raids.

Lok Satta Party Representatives S Manorama and N Saroja Devi today met the Chief Minister and gave a representation to him to close the belt shops.

They also provided a list of such shops identified by the party in the last ten days.

In all, 197 villages of 45 Mandals in the districts of Nizamabad, Mahabubnagar, Prakasam, Krishna, Guntur, Nellore Medak, Khammam, Karimnagar and Adilabad figure in the list, they said.

The Chief Minister directed the Commissioner to take immediate action to close down these belt shops and report compliance, a release said.

The Chief Minister also wanted action taken on news items appearing in some newspapers on unauthorized sale of liquor was continuing and the government had not taken any concrete steps against belt shops.

The Commissioner, who met the Chief Minister in his chambers today, explained the action taken by the department.

He brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that the department had already initiated action against unauthorised sale of liquor in the places reported in the news item.

He had called for the details of the belt shops as published recently by the Telugu daily so that the department could take appropriate further action.

Mr Samaria said that 6,204 cases were booked up to October, 2008 during the current year compared to 5,362 last year on unauthorized sale of liquor.

Clear instructions were also issued to them to take necessary action as per law against illegal sale of liquor by conducting immediate raids whereever such unauthorised sale of liquor was being undertaken, he said.

UNI BR GM RL AS1952