VIJAYAWADA: “The State government is standing by its word on abolition of liquor in the State and therefore it has reduced 20 per cent of the existing shops this year,” said Minister for Excise and Commercial Taxes K Narayana Swamy, while addressing a press conference here on Thursday. He requested opposition parties and social groups to come forward and support this initiative.
Narayana Swamy visited Shantivan, a de-addiction centre in Vijayawada, which is being run by renowned psychiatrist Dr. Indla Rama Subba Reddy. As the State government has proposed to set up one de-addiction centre in each district, he elicited the opinion of Subba Reddy.
“I felt very bad after seeing young children and students, who are being treated at the de-addiction centre. Over 70 people are being treated at Shantivan. I am clueless about how children, aged 15 years, are getting addicted to alcohol and drugs.He further said that there are people across the State who are addicted to country-made liquor. In Krishna district alone, around 32 villages are identified to be producing country-made liquor.