"No govt proposal to provide poor consumers quality liquor at cheap rates": Excise Minister H Nagesh
Bengaluru, Dec 31: With his purported comments on plans to provide poor consumers quality liquor at cheap rates drawing flak, Karnataka Excise Minister H Nagesh on Tuesday clarified there was no such proposal before the government.
"It is true that there is a demand for supply of good quality liquor at low price.
There was also a proposal in this regard since 2013, but after becoming Excise Minister, no such proposal has been submitted before the government," he said in a statement.
The Minister clarified that he had only stated there has been such a demand for long.
"But my statement has been published contrary to the fact in certain sections of the media. I want to reiterate that there is no proposal at present before the government on providing cheap or subsidized liquor," he said.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters, the Minister had spoken about the department considering supply of high quality liquor at cheap rates for the sake of the poor.
"....We will discuss,we will take good decisions, because I too want to do something that is new....want to give cheaper drinks of high quality, this is in my mind," he said.
The Minister said the poor too have to live right and collecting money should not be the only intention.
"...we want to experiment at distilleries, test at labs and then we have to leave it to the market, not abruptly, we should not do it for business."
To a question about any plans for subsidized liquor, Nagesh said "let's see in the budget, I will consult with the Finance department and our officials and let you know.
Reacting to the Minister's comments, Congress leader V S Ugrappa asked the government to stop the "liquor culture".
"Instead of making people drink such things, provide them clean drinking water," he said.
Earlier too in September, Nagesh had retracted his statement favouring door delivery of liquor to individuals with required permits after it drew flak from several women's organisations.
He had then clarified there was no such proposal before the state government.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Security forces destroy 23 illegal bunkers, seize 18 IEDs in Manipur
Imphal (PTI): Security forces have destroyed 23 bunkers illegally constructed in Manipur's Ukhrul and seized 18 IEDs in Tengnoupal district in separate operations, a police statement said on Saturday.
The bunkers were destroyed on Thursday in the hill villages of Mongkot Chepu, Shongphel, Mullam, Sirarakhong and Ringue in Litan police station area, it said.
A 12-bore pump action gun, 17 cartridges of different calibres and 111 empty cases of fired bullets were also seized.
At least seven people have been shot dead in different firing incidents and more than 30 houses have been torched since violence broke out between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities in Ukhrul district in February this year.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation on Wednesday, security forces seized a cache of arms and explosives in T Bongmol village in Moreh police station area in Tengnoupal district.
Two single-barrel rifles, four 9mm pistols with magazines and 18 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized. The explosives were destroyed on the spot, it added.
