Assam Minister’s dilemma — to boost liquor sales or prevent drunk driving?
The Hindu
As an Excise Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya seeks to increase the State’s revenue from liquor sales every year. His responsibility as the Transport Minister includes checking drunk driving, one of the major causes of deaths in road accidents in Assam. More than a week ago, the Minister embarked upon a 30-day tour across Assam on a 350-cc motorcycle to promote safe driving after the State’s Transport Department came out with a study that revealed road accidents claim an average of 2,900 lives annually.
GUWAHATI Handling two Ministries with contrasting goals may come at a price for an Assam Minister.
As an Excise Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya seeks to increase the State’s revenue from liquor sales every year. His responsibility as the Transport Minister includes checking drunk driving, one of the major causes of deaths in road accidents in Assam.
He is in charge of the Fisheries Ministry too. And fish, fried or roasted, is a popular snack at drinking sessions in the State.
“Even if it means losing my Ministry, I will say drinking liquor is not good for health. It can be fatal too, if one drinks and drives a car or rides a two-wheeler,” Mr. Suklabaidya said during a road campaign in north-central Assam’s Udalguri district on Tuesday.
More than a week ago, the Minister embarked upon a 30-day tour across Assam on a 350-cc motorcycle to promote safe driving after the State’s Transport Department came out with a study that revealed road accidents claim an average of 2,900 lives annually.
A total of 2,606 people died in 6,001 cases of accidents recorded between January and October this year. The figures for 2022 and 2021 were 2,994 deaths in 7,023 cases and 3,030 deaths in 7,404 cases respectively.
The data did not specify how many people died due to drunk driving but “the number is significant”, a Transport Department official said.
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