Expressing their anguish over opening of two new wine shops near their society, residents of Mahagun Mascot and other societies of Crossings Republik, Ghaziabad staged a protest in front of these shops on Wednesday.
A large number of residents including women assembled near the wine shops in Mahagun Mart near the Crossings glass gate in the evening and raised slogans against the administration. They demanded immediate shifting of the wine shops to other localities. Ghaziabad News
Speaking to City Spidey, Vikas Kamboj, resident of Mahagun Mascot said that the mart has access gates towards the society and residents including women and children often go to the stores located in the mart. “These shops are located very close to our society. Opening of such wine shops will invite anti-social elements who will resort to open drinking and create ruckus in the area,” Kamboj said.
Sushil Mishra, another resident of the society maintained that a beer shop and a liquour shop came up in the mart on 1st and 2nd April respectively. “Crossings already has a wine shop at the Panchsheel market. The environment there undergoes a sea change in the evening. People drink openly and in parked cars. There is always chance for some trouble. We dissuade our wives and children from going to that market. We are worried that it will happen near our society too,” Mishra further said.
Residents claimed that they had approached the district administration regarding the issue after the shops were opened.
Speaking to City Spidey, Gyanendra Singh, ADM administration of Ghaziabad said that the matter is being looked into. “We received a complaint from residents of the area and have directed the excise department to look into the issue. The excise inspector will submit his report tomorrow,” Singh further said.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Excise Rules, “No new shop or sub-shop shall be licensed in close proximity to a place of public resort, school, hospital, place of workshop or factory, or to the entrances to a Bazar or a residential colony. All objections to the licensing of a shop or sub-shop made by persons affected, shall receive full consideration.”
Excise inspector RK Singh told City Spidey that the area was inspected and the liquor shops were not violating any excise rules of UP. “However, since local residents are opposing, the department is considering relocation of the shops,” Singh said.
Meanwhile residents who participated in the protest maintained that such protests will occur daily in the evenings until the shops are shifted.
