Police guard the liquor shop at Choudkulat near Pattamundai. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, April 17: A group of homemakers vandalised an Indian-made foreign liquor shop near Pattamundai.

Over 200 persons, mostly women, picketed in front of the liquor retail unit and stopped the daily trade.

Later, the mob vandalised the shop at Choudkulat village in the Pattamundai police station jurisdiction.

Police officials, who later reached the spot, too, faced the mob’s anger. The liquor shop was doing flourishing trade at the village. In the process, it had turned several local youth, in particular, alcoholic.

“We had drawn the district administration’s attention and demanded closure of the shop, which is located near schools and a temple. The officials did not take note of it,” said Lovabati Mohanty.

The villagers’ grouse was that alcoholism had become rampant and this was affecting families. The crime rate has also spurted up at villages while several families are being pauperised because of the alcoholic habits of male earning members, she said.

Sub-divisional police officer Rama Chandra Goud said: “The liquor shop was in operation with valid licence issued by the excise department. However, local people registered protested as the shop was vitiating the village atmosphere. The crowd tried to ransack the entire shop. But, they failed to do so because of the timely arrival of police.”

“It is legally not possible to close the retail shop as it’s an authorised unit. The matter has been referred to the district collector, who is empowered either to withdraw or suspend the trade licence,” said excise inspector Goutam Swain.

The anti-liquor movement has also spread its wing to various corners of the district.

Resistance movements by the anti-liquor brigades to stop sale of both legal and illicit liquor at villages are paying dividends. Initially, the authorities refused to budge. But later, they buckled under the activists’ persistent agitation. Consequently, a couple of licensed Indian-made foreign liquor units were shut down last year. Moreover, some of the shops were relocated outside the villages.

“Women have launched a drive to stop alcoholism. The administration is keeping a close watch on the situation. In cases of genuine demand, the administration would shift authorised liquor shops outside the village areas,” said additional district magistrate Ashok Kumar Panda.