PONDA: The Veling-Priol-Cuncoliem gram sabha members on Sunday asked the sarpanch and panchas to stop giving empty promises vis-à-vis taking action against a wholesale liquor shop operating illegally in Apewal ward of the village.
Gram sabha member Karishma Naik said that despite sarpanch promising them several times in the past six months that he would take action against the illegal wholesale shop at Apewal, till date the shop continues to operate.
She warned that if no action is taken in the next 15 days, the locals would once again hold a hunger strike before panchayat office and intensify their agitation against illegal liquor shop. “We want action and not the promises,” Karishma Naik told the sarpanch and panchas.
Supporting Karishma, Anup Priolkar and Vishwas Prabugaonkar said, “Currently 44 liquor shops are operating in the panchayat area and they are enough. We don’t want an additional wholesale liquor shop operating illegally” and warned that the if the panchayat fails to shut down the illegal shop within 15 days from Sunday, they would launch an agitation similar to the one launched by the Surla villagers against liquor shops in that village.
Karishma said that women are the most affected due to alcoholism of their sons and husbands. “Therefore, we will forth neither tolerate legal or illegal liquor shop in our area,” she threatened.
In response, Sarpanch Magngaldas Gaude assured to take action within two days against the illegal wholesale liquor shop.
