State Govt Considers Ban on Toddy Shops Inside ORR Limits

Rapid summary:

• The Telangana excise and Prohibition Department has proposed shutting down all toddy shops within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits to tackle the sale of adulterated toddy.
• The move follows a recent incident in Kukatpally, where adulterated toddy led to at least ten deaths and hospitalized over 50 people.
• Banned substances like alprazolam and chloral hydrate were found in the adulterated toddy, raising public concern.
• ancient comparisons were drawn to a similar crackdown in 2004 by then CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy after another spurious toddy incident.
• Currently, 454 toddy shops under 390 cooperative societies operate within ORR limits. Major concentrations include Hyderabad (53 shops), Secunderabad (50), Malkajgiri (79), Medchal (52), Saroornagar (158), and Shamshabad (62).
• If approved, the ban would impact urban zones extensively, including Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Rangareddy district divisions like Malkajgiri and Medchal.
• Authorities may also cancel Tree For Trade concessions as part of this crackdown against illegal practices in urban areas.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The proposal reflects growing government attention to public health risks linked to spurious alcohol consumption. With 10 fatalities from contaminated toddy reported recently and chemicals banned for consumption detected in brewed batches, immediate intervention seems warranted. The historical precedent from 2004 demonstrates that such measures can be effective but likely temporary unless rigorous enforcement mechanisms are built concurrently.though,shutting down nearly 400 cooperatives could disrupt livelihoods of individual tappers dependent on legal trade through Tree For Trade licenses-a sensitive socio-economic implication deserving thorough exploration before implementation. Additionally balancing urban safety without neglecting operational rural zones inside excise-screen-covered circles needs greater focus hence upcoming WEATHER implementation clarity sheds light systematic foolproof ends

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