Madhya Pradesh govt to ban sale of liquor in 17 'religious' cities

CM says decision to be implemented after report of delimitation commission

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday announced its plan to ban the sale of liquor in 17 religious cities, a precursor to total prohibition in the state.

 

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

 

“As part of the plan to gradually take the state towards prohibition, complete prohibition should be implemented in 17 towns of religious importance in the first phase. These 17 religious cities include one municipal corporation, six municipal councils, six municipal panchayats and six gram panchayats,” the chief minister said after the meeting held in the religious town of Maheshwar.

 

Regarding the implementation of this decision, the chief minister said that this decision will be implemented after the report of the Delimitation Commission comes.

 

The list includes Ujjain Municipal Corporation, Datia, Panna, Mandla, Multai, Mandsaur and Maihar Municipal Councils and Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Chitrakoot and Amarkantak Municipal Panchayats, six gram panchayats are also included. 

 

The chief minister said that the policy of prohibition of liquor already in force within a radius of five kilometres of the sacred Narmada river will continue as before.

 

Chief minister Yadav also said, “Looking at the kind of response we are getting from religious organisations and women regarding prohibition, it seems that this is a completely correct policy decision.”