At a time when rumours are making the rounds that the government might consider a downward revision in the price of liquor in view of the spate of deaths due to consumption of hand sanitiser, Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayanaswamy made it clear that the government has no such plans.

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu, Mr. Narayanaswamy, who also holds the portfolio of Prohibition and Excise, dwelt upon several issues pertaining to the government’s policies and performance.

While expressing concern over the tendency to consume diluted sanitiser for getting a high, the Minister said the government’s policies would depend on larger issues and not merely on sentiment. “As a person hailing from an impoverished family addicted to alcohol, I know how it impacts social development. Our policy is to make Andhra Pradesh a healthy State,” he said.

‘Bold decision’

The decision to hike liquor prices by an unprecedented 75% should be viewed in the larger interest of society and the results it would yield in the long run on the health of people, Mr. Narayanaswamy said, adding that it was not a revenue-generating measure.

“We knew this even before the elections were held. Many cautioned us that such a promise would have an adverse impact on the State’s exchequer, but our leader (Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy) decided to go ahead with the policy of total prohibition in a phased manner.”

The Minister stressed the importance of weaning people away from alcohol, before clamping total prohibition and making liquor available in select locations.

“We came to power by treating our election manifesto as a holy book. Controlling alcoholism by increasing prices and reducing the number of outlets is one of our main promises and Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy stands committed to his word,” he said. “No roll back is my opinion, but if our leader takes a decision, we will abide by it,” he added.