Angry women destroy liquor bottles outside a shop at Jaraka Bazar in Jajpur on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Jajpur, May 16: Around 300 women belonging to several self-help groups in the Dharmasala police station limits here today ransacked an Indian-made foreign liquor shop at Jaraka Bazar on National Highway No. 5 and destroyed liquor bottles worth lakhs of rupees.

The women attacked the liquor shop as the administration and excise personnel had failed either to close down or shift it.

The women from neighbouring villages of Jaraka, armed with lathis and brooms, came to the licensed liquor shop today morning and asked the employees on-duty to come out. The mob barged into the shop after the employees had come out. They pulled down liquor bottles and destroyed them. They also ransacked the shop by breaking its grill and furniture.

“It is because of this liquor shop that the male members of our families consume alcohol, and after coming home drunk, they unleash a reign of atrocities on other family members, including children. Moreover, it takes a toll on our financial front as the alcoholics spend almost all of their income on liquor while other family members have to starve,” said Sebati, an agitator.

“Hence, we will not allow a liquor shop to run here,” she said. Earlier, they had submitted memorandum to the local block development officer, district collector, district superintendent of police and the excise officials to stop the sale of liquor at their villages and its nearby areas, but in vain.

The women said they were forced to take law in their hands as the authority did not pay any heed, despite repeated pleas.

“Our patience ran out day by day as the male members continued to spend all their income on alcohol neglecting the family. We intimated right from the local administration to the district collector and excise superintendent time and again, regarding our problems. Nobody listened to our cause. Finally, we decided to take action against the shop,” said Rukmani, who led the agitation.