A Madhya Pradesh minister on Monday said while on one hand bars near liquor shops are allowed to serve alcohol till late in the night, on the other hand police ask people not to drive vehicles in an inebriated condition.
"There is a contradiction that while 'ahatas' in the state are allowed to serve liquor till late in the night, police launch campaigns against drunken driving," said Jitu Patwari, the Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare.
'Ahatas' are small restaurants set up near liquor shops for people to drink alcohol.
"We should think how can we improve this situation," the minister said.
Mr Patwari also raised the issue of corruption among traffic police and said the department's image gets sullied by it.
"Bribery and corruption during the enforcement of traffic rules is an important part of this issue. If this aspect is addressed by you (police officers), then 50 per cent of negative perception about the police department can be tackled," he said.
The minister, however, immediately clarified that his words do not mean all police personnel are involved in corruption.
"But act of some people (in the department) bring infamy to all," Mr Patwari said.
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