While garlanding the statue of Utkalgaurav Madhusudan Das at Governor’s House Square on the Utkal Divas here, the Milita Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhijan (MONNA) demanded that Odisha be a liquor-free State. The forum wrote a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
MONNA president Padmacharan Nayak said many Odias had sacrificed their lives for formation of Odisha as a separate State and had dreamt of a prosperous and glorious Odisha. However, during over 20 years rule by CM Patnaik, consumption of liquor has increased by 20 times and its impact is well known, he said. The liquor consumption has given rise to premature death of many people due to road accidents and diseases.
A proof of this is rise in widowhood of a large number of young women, that is, about 10 lakhs in 20 years, said Nayak. He demanded that many of social evils and crimes can be controlled and Odisha can have faster growth if State is made liquor free.Among others, Malaya Tripathy, Bani Das, Khageswar Bala, Soumya Ranjan Mohanty, Indumati Nayak and Santilata Routray were present.