RANCHI: Tribal village bodies in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum have imposed a complete ban on the sale and purchase of liquor, with heavy fines for violations and consumption.
The village bodies say they have taken the measures to protect children and youths from falling prey to addiction.
Two gram sabhas have also decided to prohibit shopkeepers from selling tobacco products, including cigarettes and bidis, to anyone below 22 years of age. The office bearers of a village body said that violators will face fines and formal complaints will be lodged against them at the local police station if they do not follow the directives.
They have put boards on all entry points of the villages, which declare the fines and announce ban on the entry of outside traders.
The decisions were taken at a gram sabha meeting held at Bana Bij village under Khunt Pani block on Tuesday, during which they chose a president, a secretary and scores of volunteers to oversee the implementation. “To safeguard the future of the youth, it was decided to tackle substance abuse in the village. A fine will be imposed on anyone found violating the resolution,” said Buddha Singh Hembrom of Bana Bij village.
The village elders also entered into the difficult terrain of regulating the lives of children and youth. In the resolution, they have proposed a fine on parents whose children are found roaming outside “unnecessarily” after 7 pm. They claim that the move aims to protect children from falling into bad company or becoming involved in illegal incidents, while promoting a safer and healthier environment in the village.
In Baihatu, which lies adjacent to Bana Bij village, a gram sabha meeting was conducted nearly a week ago, during which, a complete ban on alcohol and ganja was imposed in the village.
“We have decided to impose a complete ban on substance consumption in the village and ensure its strict enforcement. Several signboards have been put up at all entry points to warn outsiders,” said village head Haricharan Hembrom.
A fine of Rs 10,000 will be imposed on anyone found consuming liquor or ganja, while those caught selling these substances will be fined Rs 50,000, he added.