Navi Mumbai: A group of 50 Housewives out of Enkay Heritage Cooperative Housing Society in Panvel have written to Prime Minister Eknath Shinde, and asked him to prevent the opening of a liquor shop in their residential complex. Women argue that a wine shop at the entrance to their settlement would provoke crime and pose a threat to the area. The residents of the settlement have already expressed their concerns through a silent human chain last month and have also turned to the relevant authorities.
Society general secretary Naresh Gaikwad pointed out that the existing liquor shop is located right opposite the Sai Baba Temple, which attracts large numbers of devotees, which may lead to trouble due to intoxicated persons. The housing society has requested the chief minister to direct the district tax collector and Raigad customs authorities to deny permission to the liquor shop at Enkay Heritage. A senior official of the state customs department acknowledged receipt of the complaints and has given time for hearing to the local residents to put forward their valid reasons for opposing the operation of the liquor shop in their area.
BN Kumar, chairman of the Alert Citizens Committee (ACT), who also wrote to the chief minister, stressed that many customers drink outside the shop after buying alcohol, leading to group formation and inappropriate comments towards women and girls. The presence of other shops in the complex, such as grocery and fruit shops, which are frequented by women, further aggravates the problem.
Advocate Jaysing Jagannath Shere, representing the society, said the shop violates rules that prohibit liquor shops and bars within 150 metres of a temple or educational institution and 500 metres of a highway or its byways. He cited a Supreme Court judgement to support his argument.
“Many people in the area are creating trouble by consuming alcohol in bars and shops in the neighbourhood,” said a housewife from the community. “And we don’t want this menace to spread to our premises,” she said. This could lead to conflict, said Kumar, who urged Shinde to nip the problem in the bud.
When contacted, a senior official of the State Customs Department said, “We have received their complaints and given time to listen to them. The local residents have been asked to present their views and give a cogent explanation as to why the liquor shop should not be allowed to operate in this area.”
