Assam: Akhil flays Cabinet decision to allow online liquor sale

From Our Correspondent 

GUWAHATI: 

Sibsagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi hit out at the Assam Cabinet’s decision to allow home delivery of liquor within Guwahati Municipal Corporation, saying that the government should instead focus on an intensive COVID vaccination drive across the state.

Addressing newsmen here on Thursday, Gogoi said he had been demanding a massive inoculation campaign across the state as many people were yet to be brought within the COVID vaccination ambit.

The Assam Cabinet had on Wednesday approved online sale/purchase and home delivery of liquor within the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) area for a month on an experimental basis. 

The decision was taken to prevent crowding outside liquor shops in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, particularly during the non-curfew hours.

“The government should instead live up to its earlier commitment of an aggressive vaccination drive and also take the campaign to people’s houses,” he said.

The peasant leader further demanded that the state government should compensate the lockdown-hit people, be it daily wagers, rickshaw pullers, shopkeepers, petty traders to business people or stakeholders in the tourism industry.

“We, therefore, expect the state budget on Friday to be a visionary budget. The budget needs to consider the proposals of two committees to compensate people affected by the COVID-triggered lockdown. It needs to have a comprehensive plan,” he said.

The Raijor Dal president further said that his party opposed the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, as the proposed legislation would adversely affect farmers.

ALSO READ: Assam Cabinet approves online liquor sale in Guwahati for a month

TNT-The Northeast Today is now on WhatsApp: CLICK HERE to receive more updates on your phone.