JAGATSINGHPUR: Reopening of liquor shops on highways coming under municipality areas of Jagatsinghpur district following the Supreme Court clarification has not gone down well with the locals here.
Recently, the Supreme Court had clarified that the ban on sale of liquor within 500 metres of State and National Highways (NHs) does not apply within city limits. The move has enabled liquor vendors, who have outlets within the city limits, to open the shutters. Two such liquor outlets at Udayavihar in Paradip town and Tarapur on Cuttack-Paradip State Highway will be reopened.
Residents of Udayavihar that lies along the Cuttack-Paradip State Highway have sought the intervention of district administration and Excise officials into the issue. They said a bar was closed following the
Supreme Court ban on sale of liquor within 500 metres of highways. However, after the apex court clarification last month, the bar owner has decided to reopen it. They alleged that the area, which had become peaceful after closure of the bar, will now witness law and order problem. They have written a letter to the officials concerned in this regard and threatened to launch an agitation if the bar reopens.
On Sunday, women of different SHGs and locals staged a demonstration and blocked the road at Tarapur protesting reopening of a liquor shop located on Chikinia-Tarapur road under Raghunathpur block. They said men of six panchayats used to consume liquor near the shop and misbehave with women. The crime rate had come down after closure of the shop. However, they are apprehensive that its reopening would again disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the area.
Former Justice of Orissa High Court Chaudhry Pratap Keshari Mishra, former sarpanch Debiprasad Moharana, former panchayat samiti member Snehansu Jena joined the agitators and threatened to hit the streets if local administration does not take steps to shut down the liquor shop permanently.