Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the total prohibition cannot be achieved by any government by banning the sale of liquor. He said that for achieving this goal, the trend of drinking alcohol in society will have to be changed by launching a de-addiction campaign.
Addressing the Republic Day function in Indore, the chief minister said, “the consumption of alcohol by people cannot be stopped just by banning it by the government. It will end only when we change the trend of drinking liquor in the society”.
Chouhan unfurled the national flag at the Nehru Stadium here and inspected the customary parade on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day. He also appealed to people to run a de-addiction campaign in their villages and cities. The CM said people will have to take a pledge to not consume alcohol if the goal of the total prohibition is to be achieved in Madhya Pradesh. The chief minister also emphasised the need to launch a de-addiction campaign.
Interestingly, the BJP government in MP is facing flak from the Opposition over its new Excise Policy approved by the Cabinet recently. In the new Excise Police meant for the next Financial Year, the government has decided to allow the sale of liquor at all airports and select supermarkets in four big cities, and issue home bar licenses to those earning Rs one crore or more annually. Chouhan said the state government has been supporting industrialisation and self-employment at a rapid pace.
The government has set a target to create at least 2 lakh new opportunities of livelihood in the state, he added. The chief minister said that the state government had recruited 44,000 people in government jobs last year. By the next year, around one lakh government jobs will be given, he added. The state government will soon bring a new start-up policy so that funds can be arranged for giving shape to the youth's innovative ideas, he said, adding “I wish that Indore should become a start-up capital of the state".
Chouhan said that the state attracted an investment of Rs 38,000 crore in FY 2021-2022 and, work is on to set up several industries in Madhya Pradesh. The state government has decided to introduce medical and engineering curricula in Hindi from the next academic session so that talented students who do not know the English language will be able to become doctors and engineers and move ahead in their lives. Chouhan said the “Samras village campaign” scheme will be launched, under which emphasis will be given to resolving disputes of villagers through mutual understanding.
Targeting earlier governments, Chouhan said that they had ignored the contribution of many revolutionaries and martyrs in the freedom struggle. “The country is being told that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi got us Independence. I cannot ignore the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, but in the freedom struggle the role of revolutionaries was forgotten and memories of many martyrs were not preserved,” he said.
With PTI inputs.
