Kendrapara: Hundreds of women Wednesday blocked the Kendrapara-Orat road and staged hunger strike, demanding the immediate relocation of two liquor outlets from Angulai Chhak here in this district.
The outlets have been established illegally and no action has been taken despite repeated requests to the district administration for their relocation, the agitators said.
Raising slogans against the district administration, the women alleged that officials turned a deaf ear to their longstanding demand to shift liquor shops.
“The liquor shops in the locality have led to a rise in alcoholism among the inhabitants, especially the youth. As people are queuing up to buy liquor from these shops, law and order issues have also cropped up,” one of the protesters said.
“The shops are located close to schools, temples and the local panchayat office. People in general and particularly women are facing difficulties,” said Durgabati Pradhan, sarpanch of the panchayat.
Expressing similar views, Madhabananda Patra, another local, stated the shops have been established by violating the rules. “Though we had appraised the district administration about the matter, all pleas fell on deaf ears,” rued Patra.
A minor scuffle ensued between the protesting women and police personnel when some agitators tried to barge into the shops. A platoon of police has been deployed to prevent any further deterioration in the law and order situation, informed a senior police official.
Vehicular movement on the busy road came to a halt for several hours. Police rushed to the spot and pacified the protestors after assuring them that the higher authorities would be informed of their grievances.
PNN
