The Tamil Nadu Government, which relies heavily on revenue from liquor sales which has touched Rs 15,000 crore, today ruled out introducing prohibition.
Replying to the debate in the Assembly on the grants for his department, the Minister for Prohibition and Excise, Mr R Vishwanathan, said none of the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu had Prohibition regime and suggested the Centre could implement nation-wide prohibition and that too after compensating the States for the revenue loss.
“The Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, is well aware of the problems relating to consumption of alcohol,” Mr Viswanathan said.
By not implementing prohibition, with liquor sales nationalised in the State, the Government had ensured that the revenue that could be earned by anti-social elements, apparently the illicit liquor lobby, was being diverted to the State coffers, Mr Viswanathan said.
In 2010-11, liquor sales in Tamil Nadu and the tax on that had earned the State a revenue of around Rs 14,965 crore, making it a major revenue grosser.