While appreciating TS-CM K Chandrasekhar Rao for taking Gangadevipalli, as a model village of Telangana, intellectuals from Hyderabad urged the CM not to lose sight of the resounding message of the village ie liquor-prohibition.

Sanghamitra Malik, Amina Hussain, Lubna Sarwath of Hum-Hyderabadi movement, in an open letter,requested the chief minister to devise the liquor policy also on the lines of one followed by the model village of Telangana. The intellectuals opposed the “healthy peg” prescribed by the chief minister himself as the relaxing agent. They reminded the CM that Gangadeviapalli had become a model village because it banished healthy peg of liquor 30 year ago. Following is the text of the letter:

“We thank you for selecting Gangadevipally, a 30-year liquor-free village, as a model village for Telangana. We trust you appreciate the commitment of ex-Sarpanch Rajamouli Kusum, who said that ‘the village reached present levels ‘only because there is no liquor in the village’. He attributes the healthy, literate environment to ‘something like this would not have been possible if liquor of any kind was part of people’s lives’.

“Having officially declared Gangadevipally village as a role-model village, we anticipate your government to design the prohibition policy along these lines.

We shall shortly invite your government to a public debate on ‘Healthy Drinks – ‘Healthy alternative Liquor’: what does Telangana need?’ We hope to have a productive interaction to generate participative public policies.We assure you of our participative cooperation on lines of ensuring social and environmental returns and wellbeing for any policy undertaken.”