Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to include the promise of total prohibition in its manifesto for Telangana elections. However, it plans to go about it in a phased manner by restricting the sale of liquor and operation of bars only till 6 p.m. every day.
Chairman of the party’s manifesto committee and former legislator N.V.S.S. Prabhakar said here on Saturday that they had also discussed about restricting the liquor sales further by allowing it only five days a week. “We plan not to allow liquor sales even on holidays, if our party is voted to power,” he told reporters.
Alleging that the Excise Department was being seen as the major source of revenue by all governments in combined Andhra Pradesh and now in Telangana the BJP leader said they would not treat it as “milch cow”, if voted to power. They would implement total prohibition gradually since they believe that liquor consumption was one of the main causes for atrocities against women, law and order problems, suicide and other criminal activities.
Fuel prices
On the unabated rise in the prices of petrol and diesel, the BJP leader alleged that Telangana was imposing highest value added tax (VAT) on the two fuels at 32.5% and 27%, respectively, leading to high prices to the end consumer. They would include the promise of total abolition of VAT on petrol and diesel in their election manifesto, he noted.
Further, the party would set up special task force for protection of endowments, Waqf, church, Bhoodan and other such properties, if voted to power and also resume the encroached lands of all such institutions. They would also end the system of outsourced jobs and regularise the service of all outsourced employees and introduce health and housing schemes for employees.
Mr. Prabhakar said they were also planning to include the promise of free online coaching and career guidance to the educated youth for facing employment tests. Other promises planned to be included in the manifesto were cancellation of surcharge fares by RTC during festival seasons and providing free transportation to those taking up ‘Deekshas’ for visiting temples.