Andhra Pradesh has become virtually a drunk State, with more than fifty per cent of male people becoming "regulars". These include even teenagers, particularly college students.

This is not merely a social problem. The blame must squarely be put at the doors of the State Government, which is more anxious about filling its coffers than the health and economic problems of its citizens. Never before the State has raised some Rs. 13,000 crores through auctions for wine shops even in obscure places. Many of these license possessors are leading lights in rural parts and close to politicians. In many such licensed shops, facilities are provided in make shift shelters to consume in order to tempt the people so as to boost the sales. Each such licensed shop has a cluster of what has come to be known as "belt shops" in villages and hamlets which are easily accessible to the poor working class, both men and women. Another aspect is the price and shops seldom sell at MRP rates. The whole business is a rigmarole in which the police, local muscle men and politicians are involved to grab their "cut". While in cities and towns the shops are required to observe timings up to eleven, belt shops practically supply round the clock. You get most brands even in the remotest hamlets.

The State Government is the wholesale seller which patronises certain brands and distilleries, which means large scale corruption and favoritism. Local MLAs and ruling party members have a large say in these matters.

The Andhra region of the State had prohibition until mid seventies when the then Madras Government had enforced it, but was lifted after realising prohibition was a total failure because of illicit distillation and smuggling. Only when NTR Government of TDP came it was reintroduced but soon realised a blanket prohibition did not work. But certain checks were imposed but after the YSR Government displaced the TDP Government in 2004, the YSR Government has made it "free for all" and the Rosaiah Government has literally opened the flood gates because liquor business has become a milch cow to the cash-starved treasury, without bothering about the long term effects on the civil society.

Ours is the only State which is vulgarly liberal.

The Congress, which is supposed to be inheritors of Mahatma Gandhi have thrown to the winds the objective principles of constitution which stipulates that the nation should be free from this evil. Gandhiji was in particular concerned about the poor and the working who spent their meagre earnings substantially on liquor. Gone are the days when villages could get pure and unadulterated sendhi which is not considered to be harmful and indeed good for health to the hardworking masses. Now in the name of "toddy/sendhi" toddy businessmen, the Gouds who traditionally monopolised tapping have resorted to large scale adulteration by mixing chemicals (chloride) as it is supposed to render greater "kick" to the consumers. It does not need a Prophet to visualise that in the coming five to ten years, our people would have ruined their health irreparably and of course the Government may boast that they are providing arogyasree and other facilities.

In cities and big towns, the problem is of different kind, because of earning capacity. Bars and starred hotels do roaring business cutting into the pockets of the fat salaried youngsters, particularly the IT sector.

It is true that prohibition did not succeed anywhere in the world, but in India "drink culture" has been vulgarised to the point of increased crime including rapes and murders. If only our political parties show some vision can this reckless excise policy can be rolled back.