New govt's move to reopen toddy shops evokes anger

HYDERABAD: Sticking to its manifesto, the TRS government has decided to reopen all the toddy shops within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.
This sudden move by the government has caught the attention of many people for the wrong reasons.
The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has written a letter to chief secretary Rajiv Sharma, requesting him to give up the move.
In the letter, they have expressed the apprehension that if the toddy shops, closed down in 2005, are reopened it would facilitate rampant adulteration. The forum has further pointed out that there are scarcely any toddy or phonix trees in the city and, to compensate for the shortage, the traders are resorting to adulteration by mixing chemicals like alprazolam in the toddy. Besides, the open sale of toddy would make the city an unsafe place for women.
They have also said that as per the guidelines issued by the government of Andhra Pradesh in 2004, toddy shops could only be established within a distance of 50 kms from the place where there were toddy or phonix trees.
Since there are no such trees within the GHMC limits they were closed in the year 2005. They have requested the chief secretary to stop this move and help protect the people from serious health and social problems.