Shut down belt shops, demands Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today urged the State Election Commission to direct the State Government to shut down all unauthorised liquor outlets and 'sitting rooms' immediately to ensure fair and free elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. In a letter to State Election Commissioner AVS Reddy, Lok Satta Party President Jayaprakash Narayan pointed out the Election Commission of India had in April-May, 2009 enforced closure of all unauthorized liquor outlets as sought by the Lok Satta Party.

''The State Election Commission, like the Election Commission of India, could decisively act and prevent sale of liquor through unauthorised outlets. ''As all of us are aware, the election process is vitiated by distribution of money and liquor to lure voters. We concede that catching people indulging in clandestine distribution of money and liquor is difficult and bringing them to book impossible because distributors and recipients are hand in glove.'' Pointing out that during electioneering and on the eve of polls, contesting candidates buy vast quantities of liquor and distribute it freely to lure voters, he said free distribution of liquor to voters is a flagrant violation of the code of conduct during elections and constitutes a corrupt electoral practice.

''We are not urging the State Election Commission to do something out of the way and which is beyond its purview. All that we want is enforcement of law both in letter and spirit to prevent the corrupt electoral practice of liquor distribution to voters.''

-- (UNI) -- 07MS45.xml

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