Ahead of the panchayat elections, People’s Organisations, a forum of several civil society groups, on Sunday urged people to vote for candidates who would promise to ensure a ban on liquor in their panchayats.
It also stressed that the ultimate decision making power must lie with the Gram Sabha and demanded more financial strength and autonomy for the panchayats.
Advocating a ban on liquor, Prafulla Samantara of lok Shakti Abhiyan said, “People’s movements have been at the forefront of opposing forcible land acquisition and corporate loot of natural resources and a similar movement needs to be mounted to oppose the debilitating effects of the liquor mafia.”
“Women are leading the struggle for a liquor ban as they are the ones who suffer the most from this indiscriminate business that sends families into crushing debt. The Namtara issue in Kendrapada is the bright example of women leading the struggle,” said Samantara at a convention here.
He urged social activists and leaders from across the State to prevent political party interference to ensure that the power is firmly in the hands of people’s representatives and not vested interests in the rural polls.
said Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas are the ultimate decision making bodies as outlined in PESA Act and this should to be the basis of all development planning.
Representatives of various people’s organisations stated that it is time to take the anti-liqour movement to all the villages in every panchayat and have resolutions passed to root out the social menace.
Amulya Nayak of Adivasi Chetna Sangathan, Manorama from Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, lingaraj of Swaraj Abhiyan, senior journalist Rabi Das, Padma Charan Nayak, leaders of Nasamukti Andolan participated in the day-long convention and shared their views on the need of liquor free panchayat and more financial powers to sarpanch and Gram Sabha.