Liquor related deaths have played an important role in creating an environment against liquor. Recently in Assam, Kushinagar and Saharanpur around 250 people died due to spurious liquor. Obviously there were demonstrations against liquor. Liquor has been banned in Bihar, Kerala,Lakshadweep, Manipur and Nagaland.
In Uttarakhand, demand for ban on liquor has been raised many times. It is obvious that governments are facing pressure to ban liquor. In Tamil Nadu, late Jayalalitha promised to ban alcohol. In Gujarat alcohol is banned from the beginning.
A natural question is whether prohibition of wine by the state really helps it to become liquor-free or it has also become a political issue. Whatever the reality, liquor ban is becoming a political weapon, it is being included in electoral promises. On the other hand, India’s foreign liquor market is progressing day by day.
The UP Government generates most of its revenue from liquor. The governments are not able to ban liquor as it is major source of income. In Gujarat, Bihar, Kerala etc., we can easily get unauthorized liquor , no one denies it. So whether the ban on liquor is a deficit deal for the government. If this is the situation and there is no awareness in the society towards the use of wine, then wine will be restricted to only prosperous and socially competent people.
It has been reported in the report of international research firm Euro Monitor that the increasing tax on liquor has reduced its sales. But the fact is that the number of people drinking wine is increasing. According to the report, sales of whiskey, rum and brandy have declined, while the purchase of Scotch, Vodka and Wine is on the rise
However, the Lucknow liquor association’s general secretary Kanhaiya Lal Maurya does not agree with this. According to him, 75 percent of the population consumes liquor in some form or the other. According to him, liquor business prospects are encouraging in future, because social myths about alcohol and hesitation of the youth are thing of the past now.
The U.P Government for the year 2019-20, has set the target to generate around Rs 29300 as revenue from liquor. There are 27 thousand 24 liquor shops in UP , out of which 14,000 are of country liquor. In 1994, the UP government started licensing liquor model shop. According to Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, these 401 modern liquor shops brought cultural change. People leisurely drink here and go home. Opening of these shops, have reduced the incidents of people falling on the roads etc.