Madhya Pradesh to become a dry state

CM says liquor shops to be closed in a phased manner

Madhya Pradesh is headed towards total prohibition, as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that all liquor shops across the state would be closed in a phased manner.

"Alcohol prohibition will be implemented in the entire state by closing all liquor shops in a phased manner," Chouhan said, while addressing a programme at village Neemkhera (Heerapur) of Narsinghpur district, on Sunday. This programme was organised during the ongoing river conservation awareness campaign Namami Devi Narmade — Narmada Seva Yatra.

"In the first phase, the state government closed all the shops falling within a radius of 5 km from the banks of river Narmada on either side. In the next phase, the liquor shops would not be allowed to open in residential localities, near educational institutes or religious places," he said.
 

Chouhan reiterated that a de-addiction drive would also be launched in the state soon.

During the past one month, several protests against liquor shops have been reported from across the state. On April 5, protesters had burnt two vehicles and damaged four in Bareli town of Raisen district when the excise department was trying to shift the liquor shops from a highway to a local residential colony. On April 3, BJP MLA from Indore-1 Sudarshan Gupta had demanded total liquor prohibition in the state while extending support to the agitation against the opening of liquor shop.

Besides, protests were also reported from several parts of the state including Indore, Sagar, Burhanpur, Chhatarpur, Vidisha, Narsinghpur, Satna, Morena, Dewas and some other towns during last one month.

Going the Bihar way?

Chouhan’s announcement comes after the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar had in October 2016 notified a prohibition law. 

On Monday, Kumar said his government would launch a comprehensive campaign against child marriage and dowry, too. "We will run a comprehensive campaign against child marriage and dowry like the one against liquor," Kumar said in a speech at the two-day Rashtriya Vimarsh (national discussion) to mark the beginning of centenary celebration of Champaran Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi.