SHIVAMOGGA: With the state government mulling over permitting 1,000 new liquor outlets across the state, it has once again brought cheer among the villagers of Agumbe hoping that they would get their long standing demand for an MSIL unit. Since eight years, the Agumbe Gram Panchayat has been urging the department and the government to open a Mysore Slaes International Ltd liquor unit in the village and thereby put a halt to the sale of spurious forms of ‘seconds’ and ‘thirds’ liquor reaching many houses in the village.
There are no liquor shops after Tirthahalli. Hence, people depend upon locally available homemade liquor. “Local liquor is spurious and it leaves adverse impact on the health of the consumer. To put an end to this, the gram panchayat has been urging authorities to start an official MSIL liquor outlet,” said GP president Hasirumane Nandan.
The gram panchayat also made several efforts to bring in awareness about the ill-effects of alcohol consumption, but in vain. Saddened over this, the GP has demanded a MSIL unit. “It is very difficult in rainy season as the temperature goes down to single digits, which is the same during winters too. The villagers depend on alcohol to beat the chill. If they get quality alcohol, it might help them to some extent in keeping better health compared to the consumption of substandard liquor,” said Vinay, a villager.
MSIL’s take
Deputy commissioner (Excise) Mohan Kumar said: “The department is ready to sanction as per the norms of excise department. Primarily, the department has to get a land with an NOC and secondly, it has to be 220 metres away from the national highway that runs through Agumbe.”