RAMANATHAPURAM
Alleging rampant illegal sale of liquor, residents from the pilgrim island of Rameswaram urged Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao to free the ‘holy island’ from the menace of liquor.
Led by R. Murugesan of Verkodu, a group of people, including women, urged the Collector to direct the district police and the Prohibition and Enforcement Wing (PEW) to stop illegal sale of liquor in the island.
Pointing out that scores of pilgrims and tourists visited the island every day, they said after the government closed TASMAC shops selling liquor near Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple last year, the island had been free of liquor menace. But of late, there had been a spurt in illegal sale of liquor, they claimed.
‘Mobile liquor shops’, selling liquor in vehicles after making bulk purchases from TASMAC shops, were doing brisk business in the island, they alleged. When contacted, Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena said that he would direct the PEW police to intensify raids. He also assured that he would depute a special crime team to prevent illegal sale of liquor.