Villagers from Sainso and Harianta Gram panchayat under the Cuttack Sadar police limits on Monday filed complaints at the Cuttack District Magistrate’s (DM) grievances hearing camp against illegal liquor selling in their area.
District Collector Nirmal Mishra, Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora, Baranga Tehsildar and District Excise officials heard the villagers’ grievances organised at Baranga block headquarters against the liquor mafias.
The villagers stated that body of a youth was recovered from the front side of a liquor shop beside the Govindpur-Mahidharpada main road near Sainso village three months back. In 2013, a drunkard had stabbed a ninth class student to death. The infamous Cuttack-Khordha hooch tragedy had been started from their nearby area, said the villagers.
The villagers led by Chakradhar Behera, Jagadish Jena, laxmidhar Pradhan and Chandrakanta Jena discussed with the Collector and other officials to stop liquor selling in the area.
Among others, Barang block chairperson Sasmita Sahoo, Sainso Grampanchayat sarpanch Gagan Bihari Jena and Zilla Parishad member (zone no 33) Samir Samantara also attended the meeting.
A petition signed by eminent personalities including freedom fighter Mayadhar Mallick, sarpanch of both the Grampanchayats and others from village Andhoti, Harianta, Purushottampur, Jiginipur, Sainso, Gobabast, Rahura, Gabilo, Ullar and Khandol was submitted to the Collector.
After hearing the grievances of villagers about the illegal sale of liquor, the Collector directed his officials to investigate the matter.