At least one in every 100 people in dry Gujarat may be bootlegging for a living. This, according to the data put before the state Asembly which says that over 5.86 lakhs people were nabbed in the state over the last three years for bootlegging.
Effectively, this suggests that 1.17% of the state%u2019s five crore population were caught making a living out of bootlegging or smuggling liquor into dry Gujarat %u2013 assuming all those nabbed are from Gujarat. And the data also lists that some 1,059 accused in bootlegging cases are still at large.
A total 5,86,982 accused were booked in the last three years %u2013 from January 2003 to June 30, 2006. Over 18,600 vehicles smuggling liquor were also impounded in various parts of the state in the same period, say the figures released in a reply to a question by KLA Punja Vansh in the unstarred questionnaire.
Experts say this is not surprising as the illicit liquor business in the state is pegged at a whopping Rs 200 core or more. In fact, the now-disbanded state prohibition department had a list of 1,500 bootleggers in Ahmedabad who were habitual offenders, who would keep getting lured into the lucrative business. Informally, many bootleggers have been reported to earn neat profits running into a couple of lakh rupees and even driving swanky cars.
Figures also reveal that the flow of liquor has seen a sharp increase in the state over the past three years. This especially so in 2005-2006 (till June) where figures reveals a record rise in the number of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles seized.
Kheda %u2013 Anand belt seems to have recently emerged as the favoured destination to hoard liquor smuggled form Punjab, Chandigardh and other parts of the state due to its proximity to Ahmedabad and Vadodara. In Kheda-Anand, eight lakh IMFL Bottles were seized in 2005-06, compared to 63953 seized in 2004-05 and 28,549 in 2003-04. Reasons behind the high number of seizures remain divided. While the police claim that this is a sign of strict enforcement of the prohibition law, the detractor spoint out that this is a clear indicator of more liquor flowing in and thereby being consumed in the state.
This is because of if these people go to a Private company, they will be paid on Rs. 40 to 50 per day and for a family of 5 or more members cannot live with this meager amount. Hence they are forced to do so.
Women living in Ahmedabad city, who have one or two children and owned house costing to Rs. 75 lakh to 100 lakh are doing prostituion. This is because their husband may be working in any private company their salary is around Rs. 3000/- or 3500/- per month and if they woman goes for working they will get only Rs. 1800/- per month and hence they opt for prostitution. This was twice reported by Times of India - Ahmedabad edition around 7-8 months back.
