No proposal for total prohibition, says Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Excise Minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday said that there was no proposal for total prohibition in the state as it is not "a realistic step".

"The state government has no proposal to implement total prohibition. It is not a realistic step to declare the entire state as a total prohibition area," Rout told the state Assembly.

He said the intention of the state government is to provide good quality liquor at fair price to those who drink. addicted people.

Terming the total prohibition of liquor demanded by several organisations in Odisha is "unrealistic" as consumption of liquor is a personal affair, Rout however said that the state government is taking steps to regulate the use of liquor in the state.

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While the state government has set a target of collecting Rs 3,300 crore as excise revenue in 2016-17, it has collected Rs 2,092.80 crore by this January.

The state has a total of 3,843 liquor shops and the state government has decided to close down those, which would not adhere to the directive of the Supreme Court to relocate to a distanace of 500 metres from highways by March 31 this year.