Pune: The Kharadi Housing Societies Welfare Association (KHSWA) and a group of residents from several housing societies located off the Kharadi Bypass are against the opening of a liquor shop on the premises of Ganga Arcadia society near Eon IT Park. The residents say opening of the liquor shop poses a serious threat to women and children of the area. Apparently, Babu Tadgi, SP of Excise Department is unaware of this issue.
Recently the KHSWA and residents from housing societies staged a silent protest against the slated opening of a liquor shop. Kiran Palase, a society member of Ganga Arcadia, said, “This issue started four months ago when we got to know about it. We met Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister for Ministry of Energy, New and Renewable Energy Maharashtra two months ago to discuss this issue. He verbally said he will look into this matter and assured the liquor shop will not open. But the present condition shows that the assurance was just in words and no actions were taken for it.”
The residents have written to MLA Jagdish Mule, corporators of Kharadi, Excise Department, MP Anil Shirole, Mayor Mukta Tilak and Commissioner of Police Rashmi Shukla.
Palase said, “The existing wine shop near Eon IT Park is causing trouble already. Families and women are not able to step outside when it’s dark because people park their vehicles and drink liquor on the roadside. Also, there are no street lights and most of the roads wear a deserted look at night.”
From last seven weeks every Sunday, 100 residents from the 40 societies of Kharadi come together to carry out a clean-up drive. In this drive, they collect more than 200 liquor bottles from the roadside. Veejay Harguday, a resident of Global Pretioso, located near Eon IT Park, said, “We have been collecting more than 200 liquor bottles from the roadside for last seven weeks during our clean-up drive. Most of the time people sit and drink liquor at the internal roads where there are no street lights. Along with liquor bottles, we collect gutkha pouches and cigarette butts too.”
Milind Kulkarni, another resident from Mount N Glory, Kharadi, said, “We do not want the second liquor shop to open in our area. If this open it can cause more trouble to residents of the societies. Also, there is a school, a hospital and a mosque alongside the road.”
When Sakal Times called up Rajiv Sukheja, owner of the wine shop, he started arguing in a rude manner and said, “You do not have any right to ask any kind of details about the shop. No matter who you are.” However, after much persuasion he said, “The shop is given on rent and I do not look after the operations of it now.”
Tadgi said, “I have taken over charge on June 1 and I am unaware of this issue. I need to check and make a detailed report on it which may take two to three days.”
