Madhya Pradesh govt bans sale of liquor at religious sites

Bhopal, Jan 24 (IANS) In a significant step, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to put a ban on the sale of liquor at religious sites in the state.

"In a special cabinet meeting held in Maheshwar today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, a decision was taken to ban liquor at various religious places in the state," the Madhya Pradesh government said in an official statement on Friday.

Approval for the proposal was made during a special cabinet meeting held on the 300th birth anniversary year of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 18th-century ruler of the Holkar dynasty, in Khargone district’s Maheshwar, the kingdom of the Holkar dynasty.

However, it is yet to be known when this order will be implemented.

Chief Minister Yadav along with his cabinet ministers visited the royal throne in the historic fort and paid homage to the statue of Ahilyabai by offering flowers. "Lokmata's incomparable contribution to the cultural consciousness of India, the construction and renovation of monasteries and temples, will always be remembered," CM Yadav said in a statement.

The ban on liquor will be implemented at 17 religious sites, such as Ujjain, Orchha, Salkanpur, Chitrkoot, Omkareshwar, Maihar, Amarkantak and Pashupatinath temple areas along with some others in Madhya Pradesh.

Notably, prohibition on liquor has been a political weapon within the Madhya Pradesh BJP. Saffron leaders, especially former CM Uma Bharti have often questioned the government of her own party for showing reluctance to put ban on sale of liquor. Last year, Bharti had even pelted stones at liquor shops in Bhopal and protested against liquor shops operating near schools and religious places.

Interestingly, former Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur has also raised her voice against the sale of liquor in the state.

Excise revenue is another factor that has so far deterred successive BJP governments in the state from enforcing prohibition. Excise revenue for the financial year 2024-25 is projected at Rs 15,000 crore. This revenue is seen as a major source of funds at a time when the government is bearing a heavy burden of populist schemes, especially the Ladli Behna Yojana, to the tune of over Rs 20,000 crore annually. State departments have been complaining about inadequate funding to see ongoing projects through.

"We don't want our youths to get spoiled as they are the future of the country. The Madhya Pradesh government will ban the sale of liquor at 17 religious places," Chief Minister Yadav said on Thursday.