Locals want Sanpada to be a no-liquor zone

SANPADA: Residents held a public meeting on Friday, demanding that bars and wine shops in the Sonkhar area in Sanpada (East) be shut down. The demand for the no-liquor zone was for sector 1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16A, 17, 18 and 19 in the node.

According to local corporator and city Congress president, Dashrath Bhagat, who attended the meeting that was help under the flyover near Suraj hospital in sector 15, “In the recent past, a number of bars and wine shops have come up in the area. These shops are less that 50 metres away from Vaswani International school, Jaipuriar school and Montessari Play group. A number of religious institutions and hospitals are also situated nearby.”

According to residents, these shops where alcohol was being served and sold have an adverse effect on locals. “People from outside will also be attracted to the area because of the liquor shops and this will vitiate the peaceful atmosphere,” said Pravin Mhatre, who lives in the area.

This prompted the Sadhu Vaswani International school and local housing societies to submit a request to Bhagat to shut the bars and shops, following which Bhagat had organised a public meeting to discuss the issue.

At the meeting, residents expressed their dissent at the local authorities decision to allow these establishments to come up in a residential area with schools and hospitals and unanimously demanded that the area be declared a no-liquor zone.

Led by Bhagat, a delegation of residents also submitted a memorandum to senior police inspector Ramesh Katkar. “We will launch an agitation if no action is taken in the matter,” said Bhagat.