Women in the tribal dominated Kandhamal district have sought the help of the administration to ensure total prohibition in their areas.
A delegation of about 100 persons, mostly women, met Kandhamal district collector Yamini Sarangi and SP K B Singh yesterday requesting them to ensure total ban of liquor in at least eight tribal populated gram panchayats under Brahmanigaon police station limit in the district.
"We have taken a vow before Goddesses as social activists to ensure total prohibition in the Brahmanigaon police station jurisdiction as the liquor menace has brought irreparable loss to our social economy as well causing loss of life. Police and excise officials have turned silent spectator to the liquor menace and miserably failed to check it," Geetanjali Patra, Chairperson of Rusimala Mahila Sangathan, a newly constituted women's organisation to fight against liquor menace in the region, said.
"If the administration further fails to control the menace, we will take our own course of action and demolish the liquor shops for which administration has assured us cooperation. During the last couple of months we have destroyed more than a dozen liquor dens at Brahmunigam, Jhingiriguda, Katingia, Gadapur, Hatimunda and Tajungi area", said tribal women leaders Kaberi Pradhan, Santa Karjimajhi, Jayanti Padra, Chilika Muthamajhi, Bilasini Parda and Geetanjali Patra.
The district administration has welcomed the initiative of the social activists but at the same time warned them not to take law in their own hands and cooperate with the concerned police and excise officials in order to achieve their goal, the Kandhamal collector said.
