Close all three liquor vends in Safdarjung Enclave: Residents

NEW DELHI: More than 150 residents of Safdarjung Enclave and neighbouring areas staged a protest on Saturday to demand the closure of three liquor shops in the local

NEW DELHI: More than 150 residents of Safdarjung Enclave and neighbouring areas staged a protest on Saturday to demand the closure of three liquor shops in the local market.

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Recently, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that empowered mohalla sabhas will decide whether liquor shops should be there in the neighbourhood or not.

The residents claimed support from local MLA Somnath Bharti and councillor Shailendra Singh Monty.

On Saturday, the protesters gathered in front of the AB block market — where the liquor shops are located — and shouted slogans for more than an hour. The residents carried posters with slogans demanding immediate closure of liquor shops.

Locals alleged that men drank in the open and urinated on the sidewalks because of which students and women had a tough time passing through the area. “It used to be a local market with shops selling commodities of daily requirement. Things changed after the three liquor shops came up here. People often drink in the open and empty bottles are found lying all around. The stench and mess is nauseating,” said Pinkoo Chawla, member A-1 block RWA, Safdarjung Enclave.

The residents also alleged that a number of eateries had mushroomed in the area in the last few years that added to the nuisance.

Local MLA Somnath Bharti told HT that he was aware of the problem.

“We are working to find some concrete solution. We will call a mohalla sabha in a day or two where the issue will be discussed and the demand of the residents taken into consideration,” Bharti said.

Residents also said that they were also troubled by the illegal parking of vehicles in the area.