Gujarat police aspirants are ‘well-built’ may be because of prohibition, observes Kiran Bedi

india

Updated: Jul 07, 2017 13:45 IST

The Gujarat government is contemplating to circumvent a Supreme Court-imposed ban on liquor shops within 500-metres of highways to “benefit” tourists even as Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi lauded prohibition in the state.

The state government has initiated the move after the SC recently stated that roads within the city could be denotified, opening a window for liquor shops which were closed down following the ban.

The court had observed that highways within city limits could be de-notified as internal or district roads.

The SC’s observation is likely to benefit at least 16 liquor shops across the state as Gujarat’s BJP government is planning to take advantage of the court’s observation.

The prohibition is in place in Gujarat since it attained statehood in 1960. But those who obtain permit on health grounds and tourists or visitors from other states and nations are exempted from the prohibition.

Many, including the Gujarat high court, in the past questioned the effectiveness of the prohibition in the state.

But Bedi on Thursday observed that it could be because of prohibition that students of Raksha Shakti University in Gandhinagar were “well-built.”

She was addressing the third convocation ceremony of the university, a one-of-its-kind institute that prepares students to join police force. It was conceptualised by Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat chief minister.

“I have observed that you all are well-built. I do not see this at many places where people are short, thin and lean. They do not have glow on the face, which you all have. Is it because there is a prohibition here? I do not know, it is a subject of research. You do the research,’’ the former police officer observed.

Gujarat’s minister of state for home Pradeepsinh Jadeja on the occasion said peace was prevailing in the state because of prohibition, ban on hookah bars and a strict cow protection law.

In April Gujarat HC had observed that prohibition in the state has not yielded `positive results’ because either something is wrong or law has not been implemented properly.

It also suggested to the Centre to consider denotifying the union territory (UT) of Daman and merging it with Gujarat for effective implementation of the Prohibition Act.