Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance has urged Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to shut down belt shops operating in villages, citing concerns over alcohol consumption and its impact on public health, household finances and family welfare.
In an appeal submitted to the Chief Minister on Saturday, the forum said Telangana’s alcohol consumption figures reported in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) were a matter of serious concern. It called for action to restrict the easy availability of liquor in rural areas.
According to the figures cited by the forum, 46.6% of men in rural Telangana consume alcohol, compared with 36.3% of men in urban areas. The organisation said the higher rural figure required urgent attention.
Forum Links Village Belt Shops to Rising Alcohol Use
The Forum for Good Governance said liquor availability in villages had increased considerably over the past two decades. Earlier, it said, access to liquor was largely concentrated around mandal headquarters, while belt shops have since made alcohol more readily available in many villages.
The forum argued that excessive alcohol consumption can affect public health, family life and household finances. It also raised concerns about the social problems associated with alcohol misuse, including crimes against women.
The organisation further argued that some money provided through government welfare schemes could be spent on liquor, reducing the intended benefits for families. It urged the government to consider this concern while framing measures to improve rural welfare.
The appeal called on Revanth Reddy’s government to close village belt shops in the interest of public health and social well-being.
The request comes amid renewed attention to alcohol consumption patterns in Telangana following the latest NFHS figures. The forum’s appeal is a demand for government action; it does not, by itself, indicate that the state has announced a new closure order.
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