AHMEDABAD, Nov 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised the State government for issuing liquor permits to four hotels in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar recently.

According to party's MLA and former Revenue Minister Ashok Bhatt just after swearing in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Dilip Parikh issued liquor license to two hotels, Inder Residency and President in Ahmedabad, which he said exposed the government's stand on prohibition.

Bhatt said that the permits were issued on November 7 when the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) ruled state government was in deep political crisis.

He said that the decision taken by Parikh shows his disinterest in public welfare.

In 1984, the Gujarat Government under its policy on the issuance of permits to the hotels for the trade, import and sale of foreign liquor, had clarified that permits would be issued only to those hotels which are at least 200 metres away from colleges, schools or other educational institutes, students' hostel, clinics and hospitals, religious places and dwellings of labourers or backward class people.

But the State government, by ignoring the 1984 policy decisions, allotted permits to these hotels, which are situated right in front of the educational institutes and other public places, he alleged.

Bhatt further said that on the one hand the former RJP Government led by Shankersinh Vaghela had banned sale of gutkha and paan masala within 100 metres of schools and hospitals, the Parikh Government was guilelessly ignoring the decisions taken by the former Congress Government in the State.

He said that the first decision to issue liquor permits was taken by Vaghela Government in July and September when licenses were allegedly given to Hotel Trident in Ahmedabad and Hotel Haveli in Gandhinagar.

The most unfortunate step was the government's disrespect towards the Gandhian thought by opening liquor sale in the capital, Bhatt lamented. ``However,'' he said, ``this was not unexpected for Parikh had already obtained a liquor permit from the government on health grounds.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.