In order to shut down the state-owned retail shop of beer in the populated area, the citizens of the city’s Kaleenganj area demonstrated at the District Collector’s office on Saturday and demanded that the shop be closed. The protesting citizens said that there is a house in the area from where retail shop of government-owned foreign beer was being operated.
This liquor shop is running against the order of the High Court. The citizens said that it is clearly mentioned in the government order that any beer shop that is located in the densely populated area must be atleast 500 meters away from the public place along with the temple mosque ,gurdwara and school. They said that the ancient Shiva Temple, Kadam Ghat, Shani Dev Mandir, Gaurishankar Ghat are also there less then 50 meters away.The number of educated people in the densely populated area is low and half of the population is of Khatik, Mallah, Dharkar and other weaker sections of the society. These people demanded that the shop should be immediately shifted elsewhere. Otherwise they will be bound to carry out voilent campaign.
On the other hand, people have come out in protest against the liquor shop being opened near the temple and the school near Samuddipur chowrah of Indiranagar in Lucknow. These people demonstrated on Monday against the administration and the police. The demonstrators were traders, people of the area, women and elderly freedom fighters. It is alleged that the Ghazipur Police instead of taking action against the shop on the contrary intimidated the people who were demonstrating. Not only this, the women involved in the demonstration were forced to flee with the help of women police.
Shop not Shifted
In the name of removing illegal encroachment in Lucknow’s Lalbagh Super Market, the municipal team bulldozed 40 houses of the poor in which more than 500 people were displaced but the country liquor shop which is there was not even touched. On both sides of the shop, the municipal team started the campaign and told that the shop has been bulldozed. There are two doors for entry in the shop. Officers damaged the front door but did nothing to the back door. Alcohol sales are continuing from the backdoor for the past two days.
Sandeep Asthana Azamgarh/Shashank Tiwari Lucknow