SOCIETY

Women vote for closure of liquor shop

     Nagpur: Women of a municipal ward in Nagpur voted for shutting down a liquor shop. the District Collector had ordered the vote after complaints of misbehaviour by tipplers. Rajesh Karade, Nagpur's Election Officer, said: "Women of Rameshwari Ward gave a representation to the Collector to close a liquor shop in the ward. The Bombay Prohibition Act has a provision that if 25 per cent women of a ward give such representation to the Collector, he can order voting. So, the Collector ordered such voting." The liquor shop was reportedly patronised by hoodlums and anti-social freaks and was nuisance to the neighbourhood. Ankita Sawarkar, a voter, said: "The addicts will not stop drinking, but we are still opposing the existence of such shops because it is difficult for us to move around." Preeti Tamgade, a student, said: "They used to park rickshaws in front of our houses and go for drinking. This made the place crowded." Out of 5,276 votes cast, 42.58 percent of women voted at nine booths in three schools that were converted into polling stations. By and large, voting remained peaceful. A court directive, however, debarred the counting of votes till further orders, acting on the petition of the shop's owner. Liquor sales continue to boom.
-Aug 29, 2007    

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