By IANS,
Chandrapur (Maharashtra) : Tribal women from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur have sent 80,000 postcards to Chief Miniter Prithviraj Chavan asking to make the district liquor-free, a social activist said Sunday.
“This is a last-ditch effort by the tribal women of the district to demand a ban on liquor,” said Paromita Goswami, a lawyer and social activist, who led the postcard campaign.
“The demand to ban liquor is being made since 2010. We have been asking a reassessment of the state government’s policy on liquor in the district, including the sale of country liquor and Indian made foreign liquor,” Goswami told IANS.
“Sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in the neighbouring districts of Wardha and Gadchiroli. Hence, Chandrapur has turned into a centre for liquor smuggling,” Goswami said.
A seven-member panel headed by District Guardian Minister Sanjay Deotale has already submitted a report to the state government in February this year.
“When we met Chavan in April 2012, we were promised that the report would be tabled in the assembly, but nothing has been done so far.
“We had also submitted petitions signed by over 100,000 women, 2,200 organisations and many gram panchayats, who supported the prohibition. A letter by 50 eminent people from the district was also a part of the petition,” Goswami said.