Telangana has made dramatic strides in development indices as can be seen from the data in the National Family Health Survey-5 which was released recently. The data collated and coordinated by International Institute for Population Science using a survey shows how the State has progressed from the time of NFHS-4 just after it was bifurcated from Andhra Pradesh.
From agricultural land holdings, to health insurance, education, infant mortality rate, access to toilets and water supply have dramatically improved over the past few years. While politicians have been railing about increase in the number of liquor outlets and the State collecting vast sums from the sale of liquor shop licences as well as liquor sale, data tells a different story. The use of alcohol has declined in the State in both rural and urban areas. While the consumers of liquor are more in rural areas, they have declined from 14% among women to less than half at 6.6%. Among men, the percentage of consumers has dipped from 61.2% to 51.5%.
