Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday wrote to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday against the state government's decision to allow the sale of wine in supermarkets and walk-in shops. In the letter, Hazare also warned the state govt to go on infinite strike against the decision.
Hazare had also issued a statement condemning the MVA decision as "unfortunate" and how it is "detrimental to public interest".
He claimed that as per the Constitution, it is the duty of the government to discourage addiction of any types, including drugs and alcohol, and to create awareness about these, but it was sad to see how alcohol and addiction are being junked for getting financial gains.
Hazare pointed out how in the recent past, the state government had slashed the excise duty on liquors by 50 per cent, from 300 per cent to 150 per cent with the revenue expected to rise by increased sales.
"This means that even if the people of the state become alcoholics and get ruined, the government will insist on hiking its revenues... It's indeed unfortunate how the government is giving priority to revenues although the masses are opposed to the move," rued Hazare.
In a significant step, the MVA government on January 27 decided to allow all supermarkets and walk-in stores with a minimum area of 1000 sq. feet sale wine through a shelf-in-shop, with certain restrictions and levies, ostensibly in the interest of the farmers, in the country's premier wine-producing state.