Dance bars, illegal liquor shops across Odisha to be shut: Excise minister

The decision was also taken in the backdrop of the Ganjam hooch tragedy, in which at least two people were killed and over a dozen hospitalised

Updated on: Aug 23, 2024, 18:10:54 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: All dance bars across the state would be shut down, Odisha excise minister Prithviraj Harichandan said on Friday. He added that no liquor shops near religious institutions, schools, colleges, and other educational institutions will be allowed under the new liquor policy that is being drafted.

“The illegal liquor trade will be completely shut down within a year. We have started a drive to clean vices by removing bars and liquor shops near schools and colleges. We will raze the illegal liquor shops that had been allowed during the previous government,” Harichandan said.

The network of illegal trade will be completely wiped out in the state, he added.

The move has reportedly come just a few days after a bar girl in Bhubaneswar alleged that its owner had been forcing her to do illicit activities. The decision was also taken in the backdrop of the Ganjam hooch tragedy, in which at least two people were killed and over a dozen hospitalised.

Earlier, the opposition had brought an adjournment motion over the hooch tragedy. In his reply, the excise minister said that a new excise policy will be brought in taking into account ‘Odia Asmita’.

Welcoming the move, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the dance bars should be closed as the lives of youths and students are getting ruined. Bahinipati said that during the previous government, a lot of things were done for liquor only for revenue.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Saroj Padhy said, “Through the move, there would be a lot of check on such illegal activities. Everybody is welcoming the move. In the previous government, they were only concerned about increasing their revenue.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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