Bengaluru, Mar 4 (PTI) With MLAs across party lines expressing serious concerns over the illegal sale of liquor, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Tuesday directed Excise Minister R B Thimmapur to instruct jurisdictional officials in every Assembly segment to stop the illegal sale of liquor in rural areas and take action if they fail to do so.

"This is a serious issue. Every legislator would have received some information about where such activities are happening in their constituencies. Take a list from them and ask the officials concerned to stop it. If they fail to do so take action against them, whoever they are," Khader told the Minister in the Legislative Assembly during the Question Hour.

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Earlier, MLAs especially those from the opposition, were not satisfied with Minister Thimmapur's reply to Congress MLA Koujalagi Mahantesh Shivanand's question regarding the illegal sale of liquor in rural areas.

The Minister responded that the government was making efforts to control illegal sales of liquor, awareness campaigns were being carried out, and strict action would be taken against those involved in such activities.

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JD(S) floor leader C B Suresh Babu and BJP MLA Sunil Kumar alleged that the government's policy of setting sales targets was contributing to the issue.

"On one side, there are talks about prohibition, and on the other, the government is setting sales targets. Since a target is being set, sellers will try to meet it by selling liquor in surrounding rural areas. Stop this," Sunil Kumar said.

Another BJP MLA, Siddu Savadi, stated that liquor bottles were available in grocery shops and houses in villages.

He added that the excise department must be aware of those indulging in such sales and that it seemed they were supporting these activities.

"Hold jurisdictional excise inspectors or officials responsible and suspend them," he said.

BJP MLA and former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra alleged that the excise and police departments were aware of such illegalities but took bribes and allowed liquor to be sold illegally in rural areas.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)