Scores of women from various villages of the district will take out an anti-liquor rally here from Azad Maidan to the collectorate on April 20, activist Sangeeta Pawar said today.
Lauding Maharashtra government's decision to declare neighbouring Chandrapur district as 'total dry' from today onwards, Pawar told reporters here today that it was a result of long endeavour and efforts of women groups who had been demanding a ban on sale of liquor in the district.
On the lines of the ban in Chandrapur, she said, women in large numbers under the banner of 'Darubandi va Vyesanmukhti andolan' will take out a rally to press for their demand to also declare Yavatmal as total dry district.
"We have already formed anti-liquor women's wings in 170 villages across the district and camps are still going on in far flung villages to create a mass awareness among the women and youths," she said.
She said a large number of distressed farmers who suffer debt due to crop loss take up alcohol addiction, which is one of the main causes of the suicidal attitude among them.
The state government should prohibit the sale of liquor so that addicts would be prevented from consuming it, she said.
"We are expecting more than one lakh women from across the district who will participate in the rally and dharna. We will not end the protest untill and unless the (district) administration gives us assurance," the activist added.
