Over 50 women liquor licence holders here have urged the Maharashtra government to reconsider its decision to impose a ban on alcohol in the district and threatened to immolate themselves if the demand was not met.
Earlier this month, the BJP-Shiv Sena government declared mineral-rich Chandrapur as a "dry district". Wardha and Gadchiroli have already been declared so.
Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar played a key role in taking the decision, which will come into effect from April 1, to ban the sale, purchase, production and consumption of liquor in Vidarbha district.
Addressing a press conference here today, over two dozen women licensees opposed the move, saying they are the sole bread winners for their respective families and the only source of income was their liquor shops.
"We have responsibilities of educating our children and catering to the needs of our families. We also have financial liabilities to the tune of lakhs of rupees towards banks as we have taken loans for running the liquor businesses. The liquor ban would not only destroy our families but also the future of our children," said Sushma Nagrale, a licensee.
She said that liquor ban has brought little benefit or positive change in the adjoining dry districts of Gadchiroli and Wardha.
Rekha Ramgirwar said if there are ill-effects of liquor consumption on the poor and common people then it should be banned in entire Maharashtra instead of select districts.
The licensees, who claimed to represent all women liquor licence holders numbering around 50, demanded appropriate rehabilitation measures from the government for their families before imposing the ban.
They warned of mass self-immolation in front of Mungantiwar's residence here if the government goes ahead with the decision.
Mungantiwar, who has his home in Chandrapur, is also the district's Guardian Minister.
