22 January,2011 07:11 AM IST | | Sanjeev Devasia
After Gadchiroli and Wardha, Chandrapur of the poverty-ravaged and suicide-prone Vidarbha region is likely to become the third liquor free district of the state, courtesy persistent campaigning against daru by local MLAs.
The state government has assured in the Assembly to look into the demand of banning liquor in Chandrapur district where alcohol addiction has broken many homes and driven many people, mostly poor farmers who splurged their hard earned money on booze, to suicide.
Opposition
But implementing a ban won't be a cakewalk for the government, it may have to face opposition from the liquor lobby.
A liquor association of Chandrapur has now written to the government claiming: "Mahua is produced in the district in a large-scale and daru was just one of the by-products of mahua. If liquor is banned, it will rob many poor farmers (involved in mahua farming) of their living."
BJP state president Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is also the Chandrapur MLA, had demanded a ban on the sale of liquor. The minister of state for excise Rajendra Mulak has given assurance to look into the demand for banning liquor in Chandrapur.
The government has promised to appoint a committee to look into the demand, but the panel has not been formed yet. The state is in the process of appointing the committee.
The panel will consist of social workers and other personalities, who will study various aspects of the ban and submit a report. Then the state would take a decision based on the recommendations of the committee, said an official.
State environment minister Sanjay Deotale, who also belongs to Chandrapur district, said, "There are several aspects to liquor consumption in the district. There could be a social problem (if liquor is banned in a hurry without anticipating its consequences)."
The BJP state president could not be contacted for his comments despite several attempts.
