27 Hisar panchayats want liquor vends removed from villages
‘YOUTHS MORE INTERESTED IN ALCOHOL THAN HEALTHY FOOD’
We have received 27 resolutions for the 2019-20 financial year. The matter has been forwarded to the district excise and taxation department.
ASHOK KUMAR MEENA,
HISAR: About 27 village panchayats in Hisar have resolved to shut down alcohol vends in their villages in the 2019-20 financial year, submitting a joint resolution provided to administration from December 1 to 31 December for further action.
The matter will be considered by the state excise and taxation department after excise officials at the district level ask panchayat representatives why they want the vends removed.
“There is a rule that panchayats can pass a resolution to discontinue alcohol vends from their village. We have received 27 resolutions for the 2019-20 financial year. The matter has been forwarded to the district excise and taxation department for further inquiry,” Ashok Kumar Meena, Hisar DC, told the media.
Sameer Yadav, district excise and taxation commissioner (DETC, excise) said after the resolutions are received the same will be forwarded to the Confirming that his village had resolved to have liquor vends shut down, Ved Prakash, husband of Rajani Devi, sarpanch of Dhani Mohabbatpur, said, “Yes we have passed a resolution after meeting all the villagers and elders. We took the decision because we have been watching the youths of our village who are interested in alcohol and not in the rich and healthy food that’s cooked in the village. Alcohol is also sold illegally in the village, which must be checked by the local administration and police.”
Jaswant Singh, husband of Ramrati Devi, sarpanch of Ramayan village said they were determined to stick to their resolution and it was up to the government to decide whether or
state government.
Before that’s done the department will do a case to case study of the villages to find out if they have records of crime related to alcohol sale. not to open an alcohol vend. “We have passed our resolution after a number of women from a community met us and said that their children were selling illegal alcohol in the village and they were afraid that police cases would be lodged against them,” he added.
Once the vends close “we will be able to tell the police how alcohol is being sold illegally in our village,” he said.
“There is no alcohol vend in our village and one has to travel to other villages close by so our people have opened illegal vends, making the area unsafe for women in the village,” said
Rajesh Kumar, husband of Parkashi Devi, sarpanch of Dhanderi village.
DC, Hisar
“Under the new excise policy, the department will again call the representatives of the panchayat to hear their problem verbally and the allocations for the year 2019-20 will be done accordingly,” Yadav added.
However, a DETC inspector who did not wish to be named said officials of the department will meet the sarpanches and find if they have any problems to try and seek out “amicable solutions.”
“The problem starts when the panchayat of a village passes a resolution, but some people in the village start selling alcohol illegally,” the inspector added.
In Karnal, 20 village panchayats have submitted resolutions against the liquor vends, followed by eight in Yamunanagar, seven in Kurukshetra, six in Kaithal and five in Panipat.