Liquor vend functions from Shoghi colony

Bhanu P Lohumi

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Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 10

Throwing all norms to the winds, the government has allowed a liquor vend in a residential colony of Himuda at Shoghi, 15 km from here, causing public nuisance and threatening security of residents.

The liquor vend is located in a house in the colony within 60-metre from the national highway but the department has measured the distance from a circuitous route to wriggle out of Supreme Court orders, banning liquor vends within 220-metre distance from national and state highways.

Protesting against the vend, the Residents’ Welfare Society (RWS) of the colony has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, seeking his intervention for shifting of the liquor vend.

Vice-president of the society, Brig BS Bajwa (Retd) said the residents had deployed security guards to keep drinkers at bay. But it had become difficult to move out after the evening, he added.

“Now, the colony is open to drunkards and anyone can come and rob or molest us,” said Neena Malik, a veteran journalist living in the colony, adding that she purchased the house in the colony for safety and peaceful living but the purpose had been defeated after the opening of the vend.

“We will discourage people to buy houses in Himuda colonies as the situation is worse than the colonies built by private promoters.

“Liquor vends have been shifted from highways. We will allow them any place anywhere,” said a senior officer in the Excise and Taxation Department.

The shifting of liquor vends into residential colonies, rural areas, in the vicinity of religious places and educational institutes has triggered statewide protests, especially by women and elder population, but the revenue considerations are weighing high in the mind of the government.