BHUBANESHWAR: The State Government on Wednesday said total prohibition of liquor will not be a pragmatic approach to the problem as it will lead to illegal trade of alcohol.
In a written reply to a question of Dilip Ray of BJP, Excise Minister Damodar Rout said liquor consumption is a personal choice. Ban on liquor consumption will promote illicit trade of alcohol which has proved costly many times.
Terming the demand for a total prohibition by several organisations in the is "unrealistic", Rout said sale of country liquor and out sill liquor was banned in 1994 in the tribal dominated districts by the then chief minister Biju Patnaik.
While sale of out stilled liquor was reintroduced in 1997 and ban was lifted on the trade of country spirit in nine tribal districts in 2001.
The Minister, however, said the excise policy of the state government has provisions to regulate the use of liquor in the state.
The state government has set a target of collecting Rs 3,200 crore as excise revenue in 2016-17, official sources said.