There is a debate in certain quarters whether to legalise ‘Kasippu’ which is a local brew of alcoholic drink presently considered illicit, Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said in Parliament today.
However, he said that the government still holds the view that it should be considered illicit liquor further. As a result, he said that the government had continued to raid places where such liquor was being brewed during the past few years.
“We always talk about beer and arrack when it comes to alcoholic drinks. Nobody has surveyed proper information about ‘Kassippu’. It has become a serious problem today. There is a debate whether it should be legalised after determining certain standards for brewing it. Late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle held this view strongly. However, the government still considers that it should be considered illicit liquor,” he said.
UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that the late MP Bharata Lakshman Premachandra voiced his concern about the menace of alcohol and drugs, however the government did not listen to him.
“There is no use of shedding crocodile tears now. Had the government listened to him at that time, he would have remained alive even today,” the UNP MP said.
Also, he said that he proposed to the House that the ‘Kassippu’ and drug menace should be eradicated from the country.
source : dailymirror
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