Chennai: Seeking to turn the tables on the opposition which is promising prohibition if voted to power, AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday assured a dry law in Tamil Nadu in a staggered manner.
Launching a tirade against arch rival and DMK chief M Karunanidhi for supporting prohibition, she pointed out that he had relaxed the dry law in 1971 and was raking up the matter for political reasons.
"Listen voters, prohibition was launched in Salem in 1937 and was extended in a phased manner and on January 30 1948, total prohibtion was launched in TN," she said launching her party's election campaign at the Island grounds here.
Jayalalithaa noted that prohibition was relaxed in 1971 August by the Karunanidhi government.
Assuring implementation of prohibition in Tamil Nadu, where liquor sales fetches about Rs 30,000 crore revenue, she said "when AIADMK assumes power again, total prohibition will be implemented in a phased manner," drawing loud applause.
"Always, my policy is to implement total prohibition. However, this cannot be done through a single signature. This can be done only in a phased manner," she said.
Recalling that liquor was introduced in 1971 by DMK and was available in Tamil Nadu for generations, she said "that is why this cannot be done away with in a single day."
Assuring that it would be done in a staggered manner, she said that as a first step, working hours of liqour retail outlets would be reduced, followed by cutting down their numbers.
"As a first step, the timing of outlets and then their numbers will be cut down and later bars attached to retail outlets will be shut. Rehabilitation centres will be opened to treat liqour addicts and after taking all such measures, in a phased manner we will attain our goal of total prohibition," she said.
Jayalalithaa's assurance assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of a sustained campaign by NGOs and persistent demand by Opposition parties, including DMK and PMK, for a dry regime.
All opposition parties are on the same page on the issue and they have promised to bring in dry law if voted to power.
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