VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the Sate government to provide a detailed report on measures taken to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi ordered the government to submit specific details of awareness campaigns, including the programmes initiated, budget allocation, and their implementation status. Additionally, the court sought information on the functioning of de-addiction centres aimed at helping individuals overcome alcohol dependency.
The court’s directive came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Shirin Rahman from Visakhapatnam. The PIL urged the court to impose limit on the number of alcohol bottles sold to an individual per month, and link liquor sales to Aadhaar card for better regulation.
The petitioner’s counsel, V Raghu, argued that while regulations on liquor sales exist, they are not being enforced effectively. He also highlighted the lack of proper management of de-addiction centres and the absence of data about the number of people receiving treatment at these facilities. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 16.