Ahmedabad: In the dry state of Gujarat, permit liquor is a coveted document – allowing holders of locals to get them to quote health reasons to buy the designated liquor units from the designated permit stores.
But when a Petitioner, under the Right Act on Information (RTI), asks about which disease covered for health permits, the state responds to no guidelines! The response was ironic considering the Gujarat government issued 3.690 permits of the highest fresh liquor on the health base during the 2020-21 pandemic year and renewed more than 8,000 permits.
RTI was submitted by Vadodara Resident Paresh Gandhi at first at the State Customs and Excise Department.
But the department continued it to the Department of Health & Family Welfare to answer.
“The State Government has not formulated guidelines for health permits,” Read the response by assistant director (medical services) from the State Health Department on September 16.
Paresh Gandhi said he submitted a RTI application to find out exactly the disease or disease that was actually covered by the state to give health permits for liquor.
“Surprisingly that the country has answered that there is no guideline.
They should frame the rules or guidelines on diseases or diseases needed for health permits,” Gandhi said.
Liquor prohibited policies have been around since 1949 when the Bombay ban laws are implemented.
During hearing question the prohibition policy of Gujarat in the Gujarat High Court, the state government could not find objects and the reasons for the enactment of the law.
Sunil Kumar, Director of the Department of Prohibition, stated his inability to identify diseases covered by permits.
“We conduct strict supervision before giving permission.
But this permission is only recommended by the medical panel of the district concerned,” he said.
A civilian medical officer related to the process of saying that until 2019, the list is long with insomnia, migraines, body pain and heart problems, etc.
Also quoted as an excuse to apply for permission.
“But after that, the norms are getting tougher to new permits and older updates.
At present, diseases include asthma, anxiety, angina pain, chest pain, hypertension, and various heart problems along with hyperlipidemia,” he said, adding that adding that Permit holders must be at least 40 years old.
“Every application is undergoing good supervision by our ban and staff department.
Every year, around 300-odd new applications are accepted for liquor permits in hospitals,” said Dr.
Rakesh Joshi, medical supervisor, civil hospital.
Jai Prakash Shivhare, State Health Commissioner, not available for comments.
Meanwhile, permit holders told Tii that for years, the procedure for obtaining permission was increasingly difficult, but it did not have to be effective.
“The results of the application often depend on the wishes of medical officers, and it becomes a public perception problem or choice rather than a valid procedure.
One can obtain permission to heart problems, while in other cases, paper may not be enough,” said a satellite along with the terms of anonymity .
Under the current system, one permission gets an eight can of beer cans or a bottle of liquor like whiskey.