Open House: What steps should the police in Chandigarh tricity take to check consumption of liquor at public places?
There should be heavy penalty for drinking at a public place. The offence can be made non-bailable so as to deter violators. Tavern owners should allow people to sit and have their drinks free of cost. Only consumables taken from the tavern should be charged. Special police squad can patrol the city in the evenings so as to contain violations.
Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh
Tell public side-effects of drinking in open
Consumption of liquor at public places in the tricity has increased manifold. The need of the hour is to educate public on side-effects of consuming liquor in open.
Col TBS Bedi, Mohali
Curbing violation Always a priority
Curbing consumption of liquor at public place is always the priority of the Chandigarh Police. Special drives are being conducted to check this illegal activity. — Ram Gopal, DSP (PRO), UT
Holding surprise checks
Iand area SHOs ensure strict enforcement of law. We undertake surprise visits at regular intervals to check the nuisance of drinking liquor in the open. — Akashdeep Singh Aulakh, SP (City), Mohali
Regular drives conducted
We are very strict on this issue. Drives to check the illegal practice is launched frequently and strictest legal action is taken against those found guilty of drinking liquor at public places. We have identified the hotspots and conduct drives from time to time. — Sumer Pratap Singh, DCP, Panchkula
Tricity Police should increase checking
The practice of consuming liquor in open has drastically increased. In order to put a stop on it, the police authorities should augment checking, both during day and night. Local residents should be encouraged to tip-off cops on such violations and the informers should be suitably rewarded. Strict laws should be enacted to act as a deterrent to public drinking.
NPS Sohal, Chandigarh
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Capture violation on camera, take action
The police should click a photo of the violators and inform their family. Call the flying squad to take them to the nearest police station and impose a fine on them. For subsequent violations, the penalty should be increased progressively.
Brig Advitya Madan, Chandigarh
Increase patrolling to keep eye on violators
Increasing patrolling and surveillance can deter individuals from engaging in such activities. The presence of police serves as a deterrent. They should identify and penalise individuals caught consuming liquor in public places as such a behaviour is socially unacceptable. Public awareness campaigns can also play a role in reporting instances of public drinking to the law enforcement agencies. Efforts should be made to educate people about the legal repercussions of consuming liquor in public areas.
Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar
Show no laxity towards offenders
It’s disgusting to note that there is no check on people indulging in publicly drinking in various market lots of the tricity. Youngsters consuming liquor openly while putting the bottles on car bonnets is not a rare sight as it gets dark. Ironically, the violations are committed without any fear of cops. Drinking in public is a punishable act as per law and anyone indulging in it must face legal action. No laxity should be shown towards the offenders as under the influence of alcohol, they may create trouble for passersby, particularly women.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Identify hotspots, raise tavern count
The police should identify spots being used for public drinking, particularly in parking lots near liquor shops, parks and near eateries. The violators should be heavily fined. The number of ‘affordable’ taverns adjoining liquor shops should be suitably increased. People can inform the police on encountering such a violation. Gardeners, watchmen and parking attendants should remain vigilant, particularly at night, and inform the police about such elements.
Sharanjit Singh Kallah, Mohali
Violation common in tricity, act fast
The consumption of liquor at public places has become a common sight across the tricity. The authorities should take necessary steps immediately. Strict action should be taken against those found consuming liquor at public places. There should be use of drone technology to nab these offenders.
Adish Sood, Amloh
Reduce number of liquor vends
The increased cases of drinking in public places is due to easy access to liquor as vends are located in almost all sectors. No doubt that these vends generate revenue for the government, but these have ill-effects on the society too. To prevent the nuisance of drinking in open, the government must reduce the number and concentration of liquor retailers and increase alcohol taxes. Besides, restrict days and hours of sale, with strict regulations not to sell alcohol to minors. The law enforcing agencies should be more vigilant. Police patrolling can instill fear in violators. Public must cooperate in reporting these unsocial acts.
SS Arora, Mohali
Allowing too many vends a factor
To some extent, the administration is responsible for the nuisance as it has allowed opening of liquor shops in almost every sector. Cops in civvies should be deployed to catch people drinking in a public place and creating a ruckus or passing vulgar remarks at passersby. It is also the moral duty of shopkeepers in the vicinity of liquor vends and general public to inform the police about people disturbing the environment of an area.
Savita Kuthiala
Blame police for blatant violation
Liquor and smoking are very common sight in the tricity. The police should be blamed for the blatant violation. They remain mute spectators to the nuisance for obvious reasons.
Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh
Poor implementation of law and order
Drinking in public is a nuisance and also lays bare the poor implementation of the law and order in a city. The act is punishable under law. Consuming alcohol at public places may attract a fine of Rs 5,000, and in case any nuisance is caused due to it, the fine may be increased upto Rs 10,000 with a jail term of three months. Public drinking also leads to many crimes such as drunken driving, violent fights, etc. The police need to conduct patrolling in vulnerable areas. General public should oppose such activities too. NGOs can also be roped in to help the police in checking the violation.
Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Hold drunken driving nakas
There are a large number of restro-bars and wine shops in the city. People can be seen drinking in cars or outside restro-bars. The government should either allow small eating places to serve drinks on nominal charges so that people can sit there and have their drinks. Police patrolling, CCTVs and drunken driving nakas should be set up on roads near liquor vends and bars. Last but not the least, the administration should curtail the timings of the restro-bar and observe a dry day every month.
Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh
Keep young minds away from alcohol
Public health strategies seek to provide essential measures to prevent vulnerable and high-risk groups to have an easy access to alcohol. Appropriate licensing system for sale of alcohol in retail, prohibiting liquor vends near schools, colleges and hospitals and regulating retail sales on certain days can help keep young people away from alcohol. Parents should guide their children on ill-effects of alcohol use. Strict punishment on consuming alcohol in cars or parks can rein in the violation and protect general public from the nuisance.
Charu Malhotra, Mohali
Ask RWAs, market assns to report such cases
Drinking in open is a very serious issue in the tricity, affecting public morality and dignity. It can be controlled by strict and stringent police patrolling. Market associations and RWAs can help the city police check the nuisance associated with drinking in open. People, especially youngsters, should be imparted moral education so that they don’t indulge in the socially unacceptable act.
Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh
Ramp up police patrol to deter violators
Public drinking has become a common sight and should be dealt with increased police patrolling, law enforcement and awareness campaigns. A holistic response to the problem by involving multiple stakeholders is key to curbing the problem.
Prithvee Yakhmi, Chandigarh
Curb the menace with iron hand
It is shocking that consumption of liquor in public places has become extremely common and has turned into a fashion statement across the country. It is one of the major reasons for accidents, fights and other social evils leading to painful memories. The police need to be proactive and implement strict measures to curb the menace. Penalties should be imposed on violators as they deserve no leniency.
Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh
Follow up warnings with hefty penalties
As a good citizen, one should refrain from public drinking. On their part, the authorities concerned should take strict action against violators. The offenders should be warned on the first offence and penalised heavily for subsequent offences. People who drink at public places are more likely to cause nuisance.
Vijay Malia, Chandigarh
Maintain vigil at vulnerable points
Despite the ban, a lot of people continue to drink in public places. The police need to maintain vigil at vulnerable points in the city. Drunk drivers should be subjected to stringent punishment. People who drink and drive, especially at high speeds, cause accidents, causing injury to innocent residents. Sometimes the injuries are fatal. It should be curbed by all means.
Mr Bhateja, Nayagaon
Police clearly failed to check violations
The growing incidence of drinking at public places causes inconvenience and embarrassment to the passersby and area residents. So far, the police have apparently failed to check the violations, which are rampant in the tricity. The police need to increase patrolling near liquor vends in the city to keep a constant vigil in the area. Offenders should be challaned on the spot, their cars should be impounded, and their driving licences should be cancelled for a specific period.
Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula
Allow sale of alcohol online only
The sale of liquor should be restricted to online only to control ruckus, brawls and cases of drunken driving. Removing liquor shops from the city would also lead to a reduction in the cases of eve teasing, stalking and harassment of females, which would result in better maintenance of law and order in the city.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
