No let up in drinking publicly

Drunks opt for public transport to avoid police checks, harass women

Even after strict laws having been imposed against consuming alcohol in public places, people continue to do so incessantly. They start drinking right outside the wine shops, putting their lives at risk and also making the general public, especially women, feel unsafe.

As a result of the raids against drunk driving, these tipplers are now using public transport, making women feel unsafe, said an official from the Hyderabad Police. They have decided to pass orders banning public boozing as many cases of drunkards creating nuisance in several areas of the city, troubling women and children, have been reported.

The officials said that they have received many reports indicating that consumption of liquor in public places had gone unchecked in several areas in twin cities, resulting in problems for the public.

“Basically, rather than the CP Act, which is for petty cases, the electronic system (e-petty cases) has worked wonders for us to identify and tackle the issue of public boozing and creating nuisance,” said the deputy commissioner of police, North Zone, B. Sumathi.

“In the electronic system, when booked for the first time, the offender’s details are registered along with his photograph, Aadhaar details and a chargesheet is created. When caught for the second time, a jail term is awarded accordingly.” Streets, bus stands, railway stations, parks and other public places should be for everyone to access and enjoy. Yet, for many women they are scenes of harassment. Every day, women face systematic assault on their fundamental right to free movement and personal dignity, officials said.

Speaking on women's safety, Anjani Kumar, commissioner of police, Hyderabad, said that though the city is the safest place for women, there was still some room for further improvement. He said that various groups re-enacted the harassments faced by women on public transport and emphasised the importance of selfdefence. “It is our responsibility to provide security to the women in the city at any time. People have been complaining about the harassments faced by women on public transport that should be stopped, Mr Kumar said.