A minister for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated on Wednesday that the government led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi is striving to make the state alcohol-free, which fueled rumors of a potential prohibition on alcohol in Odisha.
The minister for social security and the empowerment of people with disabilities in Odisha, Nityananda Gond, told reporters on the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse that the government simply cannot support the sale of alcohol because it fears losing money. Alcoholism is causing pollution in society.
Alcohol addiction is destroying lives. It is causing anxiety. In addition to trying to outlaw alcohol in Odisha, our administration also wants to discourage drug use. We’re going to take action to reduce drug use in the state. He added that other states have already enforced prohibition. “We will hold discussions in this regard with Excise and other departments and implement it in a phase-wise manner,” the speaker stated.
The Orissa Prohibition Act was passed by Odisha in 1956, and on January 19, 1957, the President of India ratified it. The Act has not yet been announced or put into effect, though.
The Orissa Prohibition Act was passed by Odisha in 1956, and on January 19, 1957, the President of India ratified it. The Act has not yet been announced or put into effect, though.
The Orissa Prohibition Act, 1956 was enacted by the state assembly with the goal of introducing and expanding the ban on the production, distribution, and use of narcotics and alcohol inside the state.
In June 2022, the Orissa High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that was launched in 2013 to execute the Orissa Prohibition Act, 1956. The government, led by Naveen Patnaik at the time, stated in an affidavit that it had “no proposal to implement the Orissa Prohibition Act, 1956.”
The high court went on to say that the goal of weaning persons off of alcohol might not be met by outlawing its manufacture and sale. Conversely, it stated that a total prohibition might lead to the spread of illegal alcohol, a rise in the use of illegal narcotics, and other unfavorable outcomes.
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