Women demand liquor ban in adopted villages

Ministers, MLAs and top district officials who adopted more than 410 out of total 866 gram panchayats under Grama Jyoti programme were seems to be caught in the cross fire. They can neither support the ban on liquor in any form against the government interest nor support the liquor consumption in their villages in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

On the other hand, local liquor businessman and liquor mafia have started campaign against toddy and Gudumba by taking the advantage of the situation as far as toddy is concerned and forcing the villagers with the help of village development committees to boycott toddy only to increase the liquor sales.

Ministers and MLAs first adopted one grampanchayat of their choice in their respective Assembly constituency and later the number increased to three.

Now the women of the grampanchayats have taken a decision to ban liquor in any form and its sale in their villages to avoid nuisance by the drinkers and also prevent the families from ruin.

Interestingly, in some places, local liquor businessmen who recently got licenses for liquor shops by paying increased license fee and application fee are influencing the village development committees to ensure that women boycott only toddy and gudumba.

Village development committees are boycotting toddy and guduma in the villages taking the advantage of prevailing situation that nearly 20 habitual toddy and gudumba drinkers died of alcohol withdrawal symptoms evident in the Nirmal division.

Mudhole MLA G. Vittal Reddy is facing this peculiar situation in his Assembly constituency where women took an oath boycotting liquor and its sales in the villages. Subsequently many habitual drinkers fell sick and many deaths reported with the alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Excise department officials are also facing embarrassing the situation with the  villagers especially women boycotting the liquor and demanding for the cancellation of licenses to the liquor shops.

An officer who adopted a village under Grama Jyoti in Adilabad mandal said now he cannot support the women who wanted liquor ban in the village which goes against the interest of the state government.