Chouhan keeps word to seer,no new liquor shops in MP

Honouring a commitment to a Jain seer in June this year,Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vetoed a proposal in the Cabinet to open new liquor shops in the state. Many Cabinet ministers were in favour of the new shops on the ground that it would control sale of illegal liquor while some said it would bring in more excise revenue,but Chouhan put his foot down when the Cabinet met on Tuesday.Chouhan had made the commitment to Jain seer Muni Tarun Sagar Maharaj while sharing a dais with him in Guhanchi village of Damoh district on June 4.In September this year,Chouhan had announced that as long as he was the Chief Minister he would not allow eggs to be served in anganwadis of the state. His assertion had come while addressing a 1000-strong gathering of Jains at his official residence.Eggs were on the menu of the draft of an ambitious programme to address malnutrition,but the community,which has a total population of about 5.45 lakh in the state,had objected to it.On Wednesday,Chouhan and his wife Sadhna Singh became signatories to a campaign by Tarun Sagar Maharaj to make 10 lakh people give up liquor and meat. The signatures were made at the CMs residence. Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Paraschandra Jain has already announced that non-vegetarian food would not be served in any function organised by his department. Jain had expressed anger last Saturday when he found non-vegetarian food was served to investors invited for a workshop on construction of warehouses.