‘Not opening more liquor shops in Karnataka’, confirms CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday (October 6) announced that his government will not open more liquor shops in the state amid increasing speculation surrounding the matter.

"No, we are not opening...who said we are opening? Minister has said we will think about it, but we will not open," he said while addressing the media in Chitradurga. He confirmed that the excise department has no intention to issue fresh licences for liquor store establishments.

The state government has received a proposal from the Karnataka Excise Department advocating the establishment of liquor stores in gram panchayats with a population of over 3,000. The idea was deemed "anti-people" by the opposition parties BJP and JD(S), asking the government not to approve it. Condemning the proposal, protests erupted, led mainly by women, in many Karnataka locations as well.

The Chief Minister on Friday said: “It was merely a proposal under consideration, and we have decided against opening new liquor stores.”

The chief minister also stated that appointments of Congress workers as presidents and directors will be completed soon while speaking about various state-run bodies and corporations in the state. 

Reverting to a media question, Siddaramaiah explained that the state is currently experiencing a "green drought" and asked that the evaluation should be based on actual conditions, which will be based on the assessment of the 10-member inter-ministerial central team (IMCT), who are in the country for a four-day visit to examine the drought situation. The team was informed by the state that more than Rs 30,000 crore worth of crops have been damaged, and 195 out of 236 taluks have been declared to be drought-hit, as per central guidelines.

There are approximately 42 lakh hectares of crop destruction, accounting for 52 per cent. According to him, most of the reservoirs in the state have "less water" in them, and the IMCT has been informed of this. He also stated that the Centre has been requested to provide drought relief in the amount of Rs 4,860 crore in accordance with regulations, even though the actual loss is thought to be closer to Rs 30,000 crore.

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