Bottling the Genie

In times when the promise of imposing prohibition has won elections for political parties, Chhattisgarh's Raman Singh government has decided to do the next best thing-take over all the retail liquor outlets in the state from the coming financial year. So what prompted the move, certain to draw the wrath of the state's deeply entrenched liquor lobby?

Well, assembly elections are just a year away (due in 2018), and there's a growing realisation in Raipur that the rampant alcohol abuse in rural Chhattisgarh could cost chief minister Singh (in his third successive term in office) dearly at the hustings. Families are in distress and women have been at the forefront of protests demanding prohibition-campaigns that have received wide support from the Congress, Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress Chhattisgarh and even from BJP leaders like national general secretary Saroj Pandey.

Although no empirical studies are available, the increasing incidence of alcoholism in the villages stems from the far-too-easy, 24x7 availability of liquor. This is because of the kochia, the sales agents appointed in villages by liquor contractors, who illegally stock and sell liquor at all times of the day and night.

BJP insiders say there's been feedback from officials and RSS workers on the ground that the illicit kochia system needs to be tackled urgently. The hope is that with the state stepping in and taking complete control over retail sales, there will be no scope for village-level agents to operate. In preparation for the takeover after March 31, requisite amendments to the Excise Act have been drafted for approval in the upcoming budget session. Provisions have also been made to set up a new corporation headed by the state chief secretary, which will take over the business. The CM is hoping that taking the kochia out of the picture will bring down resentment levels in the villages, especially among women.

So why didn't the Raman Singh government consider prohibition, like in Bihar and Gujarat? State government officials say "prohibition is not a solution, especially in a state that shares borders with seven other states". Imposing stricter controls, they say, was the only option.

The move has, expectedly, drawn much criticism, with Opposition leader T.S. Singhdeo insisting it smacks of hypocrisy. "On the one hand, the government supports the Bharat Mata Vahini that is working towards total prohibition, and on the other, it's taking over the liquor business," he says.