This story is from April 4, 2016

Alcohol free subdivision in Purnia

Alcohol free subdivision in Purnia
Banmankhi (Purnia): "Mera ath saalka pota ekdin acting karke dikhane laga padosike chacha ji pine k bad kyase karte hai" (my 8 year old grandson caricature our drunkard neighbour). That was the day when I decided to join the campaign against country liquor," said Satiya Devi of village Dhima, Mandi Tola.
Hundreds of excited women of different villages have organised workshops and awareness campaigns ahead of the country liquor prohibition from April 1.

Pankaj Kumar Pal, district magistrate and Nishant Tiwary, SP Purnia have declared the Banmankhi sub division as alcohol free. However they have given the credit to the women power who are helping them to implement the liquor ban.
Sumita, Kumkum and many other women have been working on war footing to make the prohibition implementation sucessful. Sumita, who has played a proactive role in her village, Jagarnath Tola said, "We all are petrified by the domestic violence and unending poverty. The husbands earn and waste the money for liquor consumption and we are left with nothing. Beating up the wives had became a regular affair. I have spent my life like this, but when the chief minister Nitish Kumar announced the country liquor prohibition, we formed a group of 11 women from the village to eradicate the social evil. We have put up sticks and have beaten up the liquor sellers and manufacturers. We have informed the local police station whenever we needed their help. I do not want my daughter and daughter-in- law to face the same problem which I have suffered from." She added, " There were around 10 sellers and manufacturers who were beaten up by us and then they went to the district magistrate to look for alternate earning."
Ranjana Bharti, secretary of Purnia nasha mukti andolan said, "The participation of women have made it easier for us. Initially few of them were scared of that the male members would beat them up. But later we created small groups of women who took up cane to eradicate the social evil- country liquor. Now they encourage women of neighbouring villages to take the pro- active role."
Subhash Prasad Singh, a social worker who has played a key role in this campaign along with the administration said, "Now that the CM has implemented capital punishment provision, we need more cooperation from the lower level officers. Sending the sellers and drunkards to jail for few days would set example to maintain the liquor free status of the villages."
SP Purnia Tiwary said, "We have requested the women to inform us about country liquor stocks. Since all the liquor either have been destroyed or sold out, now we need tip off about secret stocks to prevent hooch tragedy as well. We are also keeping tab on the number Mahua trees in the districts."
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