{"id":26103,"date":"2025-12-09T04:44:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T04:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/09\/drinkers-fund-your-guarantees-so-heal-their-livers-bjp-mlc-demands-20-excise-revenue-for-healthcare-politics-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T04:44:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T04:44:43","slug":"drinkers-fund-your-guarantees-so-heal-their-livers-bjp-mlc-demands-20-excise-revenue-for-healthcare-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/09\/drinkers-fund-your-guarantees-so-heal-their-livers-bjp-mlc-demands-20-excise-revenue-for-healthcare-politics-news\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Drinkers Fund Your Guarantees, So Heal Their Livers’: BJP MLC Demands 20% Excise Revenue For Healthcare | Politics News"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Last Updated:<\/span>

BJP’s N Ravikumar argued that the government, which has set an excise revenue target of Rs 43,000 crore, has a moral obligation to the very demographic keeping its treasury afloat<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Karnataka<\/p>\n

Karnataka Legislative Council on Monday witnessed a peculiar demand. (News18)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

In a debate that veered between serious public health concerns and grim economic cynicism, the Karnataka Legislative Council on Monday witnessed a peculiar demand: since alcohol consumers essentially bankroll the state\u2019s flagship \u201cguarantee schemes”, the government must reserve 20 per cent of its excise revenue to treat their failing livers.<\/p>\n

Raising the issue under Rule 330, BJP MLC N Ravikumar argued that the state government, which has set an ambitious excise revenue target of Rs 43,000 crore for the year, has a moral obligation to the very demographic keeping its treasury afloat.<\/p>\n

Ravikumar\u2019s argument was stark. He contended that while the government enjoys the financial fruits of liquor sales, the consumers are paying with their lives. Citing alarming statistics, he noted that nearly 15 lakh people die annually across the country due to alcohol-related ailments, with one in five deaths attributed specifically to jaundice and liver damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government\u2019s guarantee schemes are running on the money of these Madyapriyaru (liquor lovers),” Ravikumar stated. He proposed a utilitarian, albeit controversial, logic: if the state invests in treating these patients, it prevents premature deaths. \u201cIf they are treated and survive, they will likely consume more alcohol, which only increases the government\u2019s revenue. Therefore, earmark 20 per cent of the income specifically for their medical treatment,” he urged.<\/p>\n

In his written reply, excise minister RB Thimmapur flatly rejected the demand for a separate healthcare fund. He explained that all excise revenue is deposited into the state\u2019s consolidated fund and cannot be isolated for specific treatments. He added that alcohol-related illnesses are already covered under general schemes like Ayushman Bharat and the National Health Mission.<\/p>\n

However, the minister\u2019s defence included a surprising revelation regarding the state\u2019s drinking habits. Thimmapur disclosed that beer sales had witnessed a significant slump in the current fiscal year. Between April and September 2025, the state sold 195 lakh boxes of beer, a drop of nearly 47.46 lakh boxes compared to the same period last year. Attributing this 19.55 per cent decline in growth to the climate, the minister claimed: \u201cHeavy rains and a persistent cold atmosphere have led to a decrease in beer consumption.”<\/p>\n

The minister\u2019s reasoning drew sharp ridicule from senior BJP leader CT Ravi. Interjecting in the debate, Ravi questioned the logic that cold weather deters drinking. \u201cIn a cold atmosphere, alcohol consumption usually goes up. How can you claim it has gone down?” he asked, dismissing the excuse.<\/p>\n

Ravi pivoted the discussion to the government\u2019s aggressive revenue policies, accusing the administration of \u201cdestroying families” by setting high sales targets for officials. He also highlighted the menace of bootlegged liquor, alleging that fake alcohol is being widely sold under the guise of \u201cMilitary Quota” brandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cTourists coming to Chikmagalur are no longer coming for the views; they arrive stocked with bottles to party. You must stop promoting drinking just to meet targets. The government needs to provide a \u2018Guarantee of Life\u2019, not just schemes funded by addiction,” Ravi asserted.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n

December 09, 2025, 09:49 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

News<\/a> politics<\/a> ‘Drinkers Fund Your Guarantees, So Heal Their Livers’: BJP MLC Demands 20% Excise Revenue For Healthcare<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last Updated:December 09, 2025, 09:49 IST BJP’s N Ravikumar argued that the government, which has set an excise revenue target of Rs 43,000 crore, has a moral obligation to the very demographic keeping its treasury afloat Karnataka Legislative Council on Monday witnessed a peculiar demand. (News18) In a debate that veered between serious public health…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}