Team Herald
VALPOI: Surla villagers on Sunday passed a resolution to revoke all eight NOCs granted to liquor bars operating in the village.
Around 300 locals were present for gram sabha held in the temple. There were arguments between the villagers and the bar owners including an altercation between a village group and the family of a bar owner. Police were summoned, who managed to control the situation.
“If Government wants liquor outlets in Surla then rehabilitate us somewhere else. Our village is already ruined due to the liquor outlets. We do not want check posts in our village. Now, all we want is that our village to be alcohol-free,” demanded Surla villagers.
“Due to presence of bars, our village has become unsafe for our women. Tourists are visiting our village for alcohol and are creating nuisances in our village,” complained Poonam Gaonkar, a villager.
“We will shut down our liquor bars on Sundays and during festivals. We will construct toilets in our bars and provide parking place especially for tourists in our property and will prevent them from consuming liquor in open spaces. Give us a year, if we fail to do so, then will shut down our bars,” assured Ashok Gaonkar, a bar owner.
The villagers said they have been tolerating the bar owners for the last 20 years and refused to give them another opportunity.
Around 199 villagers voted in favour of cancellation of bar NOCs.
“We have passed a resolution to revoke NOCs of all 8 bars. Now our panchayat will discuss on this resolution at the meeting scheduled on July 31. Later, we will submit the resolution to the Government, Collector and Sattari Mamlatdar,” informed Sarita Gaonkar, Thane Sarpanch.
