Women from Saini and Sunpura villages in Greater Noida swooped on a liquor shop here on Sunday and set fire to it. The reported loss is estimated to be around Rs 15 lakh.
“These liquor shops have made the area an open bar. Women fear to cross the area as drunken men tease them,” said an elderly woman of Sunpura village, who didn't give her name.
“The farmers here have got a lot of money as land compensation. The men are getting addicted to liquor and are beating their wives and ignoring their children. Drinking is becoming a social evil here.”
She said a local school is also located close to the liquor shops.
Greater Noida Superintendent of Police S.K. Verma said, “Some anti social elements provoked the women. A case of rioting against unknown women has been registered at Bisrakh Police Station.”
Another woman, who didn’t give her name, said, “The government is earning revenue from these shops but it is ignoring the health of the farmers.”
District Excise Officer J. Upadhaya said, “All liquor shops in the district are run jointly by U.P. Sugar Federation and Amtheast Town Planners Private Limited. Nobody from the village including the village head has ever lodged a complaint against the liquor shops.”
{{/usCountry}}District Excise Officer J. Upadhaya said, “All liquor shops in the district are run jointly by U.P. Sugar Federation and Amtheast Town Planners Private Limited. Nobody from the village including the village head has ever lodged a complaint against the liquor shops.”
{{/usCountry}}“People do not understand that in the absence of licenced shops, liquor addicts will drink spurious liquor, which may prove fatal for them.”
Upadhaya, however, said the shops could be shifted if rules weren’t followed while setting them up.
Saurabh Goel of Amtheast told HT, “We have three liquor shops in a row in Sunpura village — for country made liquor, Indian Made Foreign Liquor and a beer shop. Women set ablaze the foreign liquor shop.”