Anti-liquor protesters in Sundargarh, who have been holding a relay strike for last 411 days demanding shifting of a country liquor shop and beer parlor in their village, locked Garjanjor Gram panchayat office on Saturday evening.
They alleged that the local sarpanch, without taking the consent of villagers in Gram Sabha, made a resolution to favour the owners of a country liquor shop and beer parlor. They said the sapranch is hand in gloves with the owners of the beer parlour and country liquor shop due to which the licence to run both the shops have been renewed and liquor shop and beer parlor were opened again on Saturday with the presence of the local Magistrate and a large number of police officials. The liquor shop and beer parlor had been closed since April 1 due to the protest by the villagers. The villagers of Garjanjor panchayat under Hemgiri tehsil are holding longest ever agitation demanding shifting of a local country liquor shop and beer parlor alleging that they are the main cause of many disturbances in their locality. A relay hunger strike has been continuing there since April 1, 2016.
On Saturday morning, the Additional Tehsildar, Hemgiri , the SDPO
Sundargarh along with four platoon police force reached Bileimunda and in their presence, both the country liquor shop and beer parlor were opened. Anti liquor protesters seeing this, fumed and went to Garjanjor Gram panchyat office and staged protest there till evening. The villagers have been demanding shifting of the liquor shop and beer parlor from that area.