Kozhikode: Hundreds of residents including women and children held a procession protesting against the move by liquor shop owners in Mahe to shift their outlets and bars to residential areas following the Supreme Court order. The protesters also raised slogans against the Puduchery government, which moved the Supreme Court with a review petition over the issue. It was on December 15 last year, thar the Supreme Court ordered a ban on all liquor shops within 500 metres of national as well as state highways across the country, and also made it clear that licences of existing shops would not be renewed after March 31.
The protest march started from Railway Station Road and ended at Government House- the office and residence of the Regional Administrator. The protestors also submitted a memorandum to the Mahe MLA and Regional Administrator to immediately take action on the issue. Addressing the protesters, Mahe MLA Dr Ramachandran said that the public should strongly oppose the move of the liquor mafia to sabotage the apex court order. “Any move to open a bar in residential areas against the people’s will needs to be tackled,” the MLA added. Regional Administrator S. Manicka Deepan told the protesters that he was studying the matter and would take steps accordingly.
Almost all the liquor shops in Mahe town have to close down by March 31. Liquor shop owners are planning to convert warehouses and vacant commercial spaces near the densely populated Railway Station Road area, Mundock and Manjakkal into liquor shops, in order to tackle the 500 metre criteria. The residents have formed the Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi to prevent such moves and to protest against official apathy. Speaking to DC, Samithi member Sadiq Manjakkal said that the residents were planning to intensify the protest in the coming days by forming a human chain on Railway Station Road.
