SUNDAY, JULY 07, 2024
As days passed by things got murkier with allegations against the top boss of Goa Police, for being the man who withheld the men in uniform from taking action against the violators and ensuring the house demolition.
Amidst all the noise, an important amendment by the Excise Department received very little to no attention by the general public. The government decided to permit liquor outlets within 100 metres of education as well as religious institutions but for double the price as licence fee.
When activists, religious leaders and politicians raised their voice against the amendment, the government was quick to respond that the rule to permit bars and liquor outlets within 100 meters of education and religious institutions already existed and by doubling the fees the government was only trying to dissuade those seeking such licences in future.
However, one can be certain that the government has overlooked some very important facts. As pointed out by the President of the Liquor Traders Association of Goa, Dattaprasad Naik, the State already has 3,500 liquor licences. The most important other fact that the government has turned a blind eye to is that in the first five months this year, Goa has witnessed 300 per cent increase in the number of drunken driving cases booked. Last year, between January and May last year 500 cases were booked and this year during the same period 2,000 cases of drunken driving have been booked.
Goa has witnessed some of the most tragic fatal accidents only due to the drunken driving. To top it all, minors have been drinking and driving, leading to fatal accidents. The State will recall the fatal accident at St Jacinto Island last year in which a woman was killed instantly when a minor from Mapusa drove the car under the influence of alcohol. This is an example of what a deadly combination a minor makes who has access to alcohol and a vehicle.
But beyond these headline grabbing accident stories are stories of alcohol and drug abuse by minors in the villages of Goa. Almost always, parents due to the shame and stigma avoid seeking help and both, the parents as well as the children, suffer while the society ignores the social evil.
The government cannot be naive in expecting that doubling the licence fees will dissuade liquor traders from applying for new or renewal of licences, as the liquor business provides great dividends as profits. What the government has not foreseen is that the alcohol menace is catching up, and with access to all sorts of ideas over the internet, minors are now able to trick parents and neighbours. Children as little as 10 years are drinking instant energy drinks which are very harmful to their bodies, even as the companies selling these drinks put a warning that the drink shouldn’t be consumed by children. Yet these instant energy drinks are easily available to children. Now, it's anybody's guess what the promotion of alcohol outlets would mean in the vicinity of schools and neighbourhoods?
Goa has witnessed opposition and agitation to waste management and treatment plants, but it's appalling to witness the silence or how little the society is concerned about the unseen effects of alcohol if stores are permitted to do business cheek-by-jowl to educational and religious institutions.
Taking cognizance of the statistics, it would be prudent of the Goa government to bring a legislation to all together ban liquor outlets within 100 metres radius of educational and religious campuses.
Sudha Murthy, Member of Rajya Sabha and former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, minced no words when she once said, “Increasing the sale of liquor may benefit the government in terms of revenue. But liquor is a social evil, and its biggest victims are women and their children."
