ROURKELA: The coronavirus lockdown has resulted in an unintended benefit for villagers of Kuanrmunda block in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district with a drastic reduction in alcohol consumption.
This positive change was achieved by the collective efforts of tribal villagers who see this undeclared prohibition as a boon in disguise. Since alcoholism is considered to be normal in tribal culture, Kuanrmunda block panchayat samiti vice-chairman Shyam Sundar Sahu said PRI members along with administrative officials managed to convince village heads to help them in spreading awareness against visiting illegal liquor joints during the coronavirus outbreak.
The village heads played an instrumental role in educating tribals on the urgent need to maintain social distancing and the risk of visiting illegal liquor sale points. Due to the lockdown, three licensed brewing units at Raiboga, Andhari and Kuanrmunda shut down on their own. But what came as a surprise was the voluntary community crackdown on illegal bootlegging and ‘handia’ sale in villages, he said.
Sources said around 40 to 50 of the total 103 villages in Kunarmunda block were affected by alcoholism. The worst-hit were bordering Jambahal, Kadobhal, Jaidega, Salangabahal and Kalosihiria villages where brewing and sale of liquor were rampant. Liquor was sold in many tribal households which either illegally manufactured it or procuring it from illicit sources. The villagers were also seen crowding these liquor joints from morning to night.
Dalki sarpanch Oscar Kindo said almost all villages have been barricaded to restrict entry of outsiders. This has ensured a check on entry of illegal liquor into villages from other areas. Besides, community consumption of ‘handia’ has also stopped, he informed. Similarly, Kadohabal sarpanch Kanu Barua and Jambahal samiti member Dipak Sahu said the transformation was possible as the tribal villagers, despite being illiterate, realised that the deadly coronavirus may spread if people huddled at one place and due to contamination of utensils and liquor containers. Unwilling to be named, an elderly tribal said she is happy that her husband and son have been forced to quit alcohol due to the coronavirus scare. All my previous attempts to stop them from consuming alcohol had proved fruitless,” she added.
Liquor racket busted, two arrested
Bargarh: Police unearthed an illicit liquor manufacturing unit in Bargarh town and arrested two persons in the connection. Besides, a container with seven litre of illicit liquor, 85 bottles of liquor, two bags containing duplicate caps of IMFL bottles, two strips of sedative tablets, 31 sheets of IMFL stickers and `28 lakh cash were seized from the possession of the duo identified as Abinash Gupta (33) of Dihraloc village in Aurangabad district, Bihar and Satrughan Prasad Gupta (37) of Lamipatra in Jharkhand.
While Abinash is residing at Matru Vihar in Bargarh town, Satrughan lives at Udayanagar in Balangir town. The duo has confessed that they were preparing spurious foreign liquor and selling it by using forged labels and caps. Bargarh SP Padmini Sahoo said Abhinash owns a roadside dhaba in Attabira. Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo had been running the illegal trade for the last around six months.