Hundreds of women from about 67 SHGs in Rambhadeipur Gram Panchayat under Jagatsinghpur block converged at a meeting on Monday and took an oath to make their Panchayat liquor free by October 2, the Gandhi Jayanti day.

Notably, these women have been working on an anti-liquor campaign in the area for last several months.

Reports said that due to flourishing liquor sale, the women members from different SHGs of Rambhadeipur Panchayat, mainly Dalit women, had started a drive checking wine sale in the Panchayat in May. The women folk from the area had raided liquor vending spots and ransacked the stores.

The women too had conducted road blockade at Dhanipur on Cuttack- Jagatsinghpur NH 55 on June 14, demanding liquor prohibition in their village.

The district Excise department and police had conducted massive raids and seized huge quantity of liquors, giving these women activists a further spur. Social activist and anti-liquor leader of Jagatsinghpur district Basudev participaing as guest advised the women to intensify the agitation and set the October 2 date as their goal to make the locality liquor-free.

 Sarpanch Bhramarabar Sahoo speaking on the occasion informed that earlier the Panchayat had bagged  the Swachha Nirmal award in Jagatsinghpur district. He hoped that the liquor ban will add another feather in the Panchayat's hat.

Among others, lawyer Stalin Dhirendra Acharya, social activists Tulu Mishra, Manoj Lenka, Prabhat Satapathy, anti-liquor movement women leaders Kusum Bhoi and Sujata Bhoi were present.