It is official: 10% of gram sabha can shut liquor vend

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 26

The Assembly today passed the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, allowing one-tenth of gram sabha members to decide on closure of liquor vends in areas under their panchayat.

According to the government, there had been instances of gram panchayats unwilling to disallow opening of liquor vends despite there a demand from villagers.

The new legislation would amend the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act and give precedence to views of one-tenth members of the gram sabha, over and above the opinion of the gram panchayat.

“The gram sabha comprises voters of the gram panchayat,” said Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, who presented the Bill. They could pass the resolution during the period from April 1 to December 31.

During the debate, Rohtak MLA BB Batra asked who would preside over the meeting of the gram sabha. Dushyant replied that members of the gram sabha could pass the resolution in the presence of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer.

“If there are 2,000 gram sabha members in a village, 200 of them can pass the resolution. At present, 2,300 villages in the state have liquor shops,” he pointed out.

Sonepat MLA Surender Panwar, Faridabad-NIT MLA Neeraj Sharma and Batra called for a similar provision in urban areas. Dushyant replied that it was up to Urban Local Bodies Department to decide.

Earlier, under Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, prohibition could be introduced within the local area of gram panchayat when a resolution was passed by majority of panches during the period from April 1 to September 30 any year.