Indore: Residents of Bhawna Nagar, Rani Bagh and others are protesting against proposed shifting of a liquor shop into their area from Narmada Nagar. A local resident Alok Rathore said that the shop was earlier shifted from IET to Narmada Nagar and now the excise officials are planning to shift it into their area near Radha Swami Beas.
“Shifting of liquor shop will make life difficult as activities of anti-social elements will increase manifold. More than 10,000 people, who reside in the area, will be affected if the shop is shifted,” he said. Another resident Ravi Goswami of Bhawna Nagar said: “There are so many educational and spiritual institutions in the area and it is also densely populated.”
“There are many educational and spiritual institutions like Radha Swami Beas, Parmanand Ashram, Brahmakumaris Centre, New Digamber School, Queen’s College and others. The opening of liquor shop here will disturb people, especially women, who wouldn’t move freely in the area due to anti-social elements,” Goswami said.
Rathore alleged that the licence owner of liquor shop has already started setting up the shop there. “We will not allow the shop to get opened in our area at any cost. We have lodged our protest and will continue if it is shifted here,” the residents added. The shop was initially opened near IET campus but was shifted to Narmada Nagar following protest from residents and students complaining anti-social activities and eve teasing.
Later, residents of Narmada Nagar had started protest against the shop alleging same activities. Large number of women had also joined the protest with canes and they didn’t let the shop opened for two days after which the excise officials assured them to shift the shop. Now, the residents, where the shop is proposed to be shifted, have started a protest which increases wrinkles on the head of excise officials as they are not getting any place to shift the shop.