Women in Mashobra Block gave a week’s ultimatum to shift liquor contract from Dublu to another place

In Mashobra block, the women of Keonthal cluster level organization formed under NRLM have given an ultimatum to the Balog Panchayat and the Excise Department that if the liquor contract from Dublu is shifted to another place within a week, the women of the area will refrain from protesting. Will not be For which the local panchayat will be responsible. It should be noted that a war has started between the local women and the panchayat regarding the contract of liquor. Where the local panchayat is not ready to shift the contract, on the other hand, women are firm on their mission.
CLF chief Geeta Thakur, Bank Sakhi Meera Devi, village organization secretaries Reena Rana and Mamta Kashyap, ward members Poonam and Pavita, including women of several self-help groups, told that in the past, MLA and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh had asked about shifting liquor contracts. A meeting was also held with the minister on which the minister assured us to shift the liquor contract within two days, but no action has been taken in this regard even after a week has passed. Earlier, he met DC and SDM Rural Shimla, Excise Commissioner, BDO Mashobra, and handed over a memorandum to shift the liquor contract to some other place, but no hearing was held at any level.
It may be noted that on July 5, NLRM women protested outside the contract to protest against the opening of the liquor contract. Members of W Ward number one and two, Pavita and Poonam, have alleged that despite being members of the panchayat, no consent was taken from them regarding the opening of the liquor vend. He has accused the Gram Panchayat of issuing NOC arbitrarily.
Meera and Mamta Kashyap said that after the opening of liquor vends, some local people openly drink alcohol and lie on the streets, due to which a situation of fear has arisen, especially among women and children. They say that there is a grocery shop, bus stand, satsang building, and water glasses near the contract, where women and children keep coming and going.
Omprakash Sharma, the head of Balog Panchayat, said that a six-month agreement has been made with the contract owner, after which the contract will be shifted.
Here, ETI Karan Thakur told that the contract of liquor can be shifted to any other place only on the recommendation of the local Gram Panchayat, whose permission is given by the Excise Collector.