Jaya vows prohibition in a phased manner

Jayalalithaa, revealing how she would seek to achieve total prohibition, said that as a first step the timing of the retail outlets of TASMAC would be reduced, then the number of shops would be brought down and later the bars attached to these outlets will be closed. Besides these measures, deaddtiction and rehabilitation centres would be opened across the state.

Jayalalithaa, while making these announcements, strongly criticised DMK President M Karunanidhi on his promise of total prohibition saying that it was he who withdrew prohibition during his rule in 1971 paving the way for opening of liquor, arrack and toddy shops in the State.

In fact, he went ahead with the decision to reintroduce liquor in the State, despite strong protest from elderly statesman C Rajagopalachari, Jayalalithaa added. 

Accusing Karunanidhi of trying to gain political mileage by making a hollow promise on total prohibition, she recalled the DMK patriarch’s statement in the Assembly that there was no way to ban hooch in the state and instead world class liquor varieties should be produced in Tamil Nadu to compete with other countries. 

The DMK chief had come out with the assurance on prohibition only due to fear of defeat at the May 16 election, Jayalalithaa said amid thunderous cheers from the crowd. 

The AIADMK supremo in her speech, which was telecast in 23 constituencies through video-conference via campaign vans, said that the state had attained self-sufficiency in power production from deficit level prior to 2011. 

Tamil Nadu earlier faced 15-hour power cut in a day. But now the situation has changed for the better and steps have been initiated during the last five years to make Tamil Nadu a power-surplus state. 

She also listed a host of schemes for women’s welfare, including ‘Gold for thali’, ‘Amma baby kit’ and so on, which were introduced during her rule in the last five years. She devoted a major portion of the address to the development works being carried out in water bodies at several places, especially in Chennai and its suburbs.

Jayalalithaa claimed that her government had implemented all the promises made in the 2011 election manifesto and promised that more schemes and programmes would be implemented in her next term.