When Will You Shut Belt Shops? YS Jagan Asks Chandrababu in Open Letter

Praja Sankalpa Yatra undertaken by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly to understand people's problems on a first hand basis has provided some disturbing insights. Even as the masses are joining the YSRCP chief in his historic walkathon, the experience has been an eye-opener for the leader himself. Even though sob tales and woes of the common man comes as no surprise knowing the apathy of the AP government, the indifference of the state has shocked YS Jagan. Moved by the plight of people, the YSRCP president decided to pen an open note to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu.

Flaying the AP government's failure to shut the belt shops, YS Jagan wrote a three-page letter on Friday, demanding to know what the government did with the huge revenue generated from liquor sales in the state which amounts to a whopping Rs 15000 crores!

Mourning the death of Mudunuri Subbamma of Patthepuram in West Godavari, who committed suicide after a liquor shop was opened in her village. YS Jagan held Chandrababu directly responsible for her death. Citing the case, the YSRCP chief said that 20 people had attempted suicide because of the adverse effects of the TDP's liquor policy.

He also stated in his letter that the TDP government had cleared only Rs 11,000 crore of the Rs 87,612 crores outstanding loan of the farmers.

The AP Leader of Opposition demanded to know when the CM will honour his words of shutting down illegal liquor outlets. He also reminded Chandrababu that the file related to belt shops was among those he signed soon after taking charge as the head of state and asked him about status of files.

The government earned revenue to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore just from liquor in the first year. In the next year, it earned Rs 13,640 crore and this financial year it already made Rs 11,000 crore and the annual earnings was estimated at Rs 17,000 crore. On an average the government was getting Rs 15,000 crore revenue per annum from liquor, he calculated.