No new liquor outlets in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Chief minister Siddaramaiah, on Friday, put to rest speculation that the government plans to open new liquor outlets in the state, saying the proposal has been scrapped for good.
The clarification came amid widespread rumours that the state government was planning to open a liquor outlet in every village that had a population of 3,000 or more to shore up its revenues to implement its five guarantee schemes.
Speaking to reporters in Chitradurga, Siddaramaiah said the excise department will not hand out new licences. “Our excise minister [RB Thimmapur] had only said we will think about it [opening new outlets]. It was only a proposal. But we will not open new liquor shops.”
During a review meeting of the excise department chaired by Siddaramaiah in September, Thimmapur had reportedly proposed to open more liquor outlets in rural areas, claiming liquor was being sold on the black market there. He proposed granting licences for 400 outlets across the state.
He said new shops would not only help fight the illicit liquor business, but customers would also “save money” since they were now being forced to pay more for liquor due to lack of availability. The government too would earn revenue.
However, protests erupted in villages and smaller towns across the state over the proposal, with women leading the way. The plan had given the opposition BJP and JD(S) fodder to attack the government. They accused it of hatching a plan to “snatch benefits” given to the women of the state through the guarantees by “making people spend on liquor”. Some MLAs in Congress too had made their disapproval plain.
Women groups had staged protests in several parts of the state, demanding the government drop the proposal. Following protests, Thimmapur said the proposal was still in its infancy and that the government will not rush through a decision. As a policy matter, the state government stopped issuing licences for new liquor shops two decades ago.