Maharashtra government declares Chandrapur as 'dry' district

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Government today declared mineral rich Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region as 'dry district', imposing ban on the sale, purchase, production and consumption of liquor.

Chandrapur will be the third district in the state after neighbouring Wardha and Gadchiroli, also in east Maharashtra, where liquor prohibition is brought in.

An official in the Chief Minister's Office said all the three districts are situated on the state's borders and there is a possibility of illicit liquor trade and need of the hour is for effective curbs on such activities.

"The social justice department will undertake a programme to create awareness against consumption of alcohol. A separate department will be created for effectively implementing prohibition in these three districts for which adequate manpower will be provided for police and excise departments," the official said.

All alcohol permits in Chandrapur will be cancelled and would be shifted to other districts other than Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur as per the requests of the permit-holders while adhering to rules and guidelines.

The demand for banning liquor in Chandrapur was made in late 2010, following which a committee was set up and a decision was taken that in the interest of health of the people of Chandrapur, liquor consumption must be prohibited.

While there is a blanket ban on the sale, purchase, production and consumption of liquor in Wardha, as it is closely linked with Mahatma Gandhi with his ashram situated in Sevagram, in the case of Gadchiroli the decision to declare it as a dry district was taken in 1992 owing to a public outcry to ban alcohol in view of growing Naxal movement there.