Close liquor vend at Nawada metro station by Sep 11: Swaraj

Abhiyan New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The controversy over liquor vendsin Delhi intensified today with Prashant Bhushan-led SwarajAbhiyan giving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government time tillSeptember 11 to close one such shop near the Nawada metrostation in Uttam Nagar here. The ultimatum by the organisation was given at a publichearing held by it at Uttam Nagar, the Assembly constituencyof AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, against the liquor shop near themetro station. According to the organisation, also led by former AAPleader Yogendra Yadav, people of the area, especially women,expressed deep discontent against the MLA because of theliquor vend. The vend has become a nuisance for commuters, especiallywomen, and the school situated nearby, it said in a statement. Swaraj Abhiyan held the ‘Jan Sunwai’ today as part of itspublic hearings being conducted against various liquor vendingshops across Delhi, where the vends have been opened withoutthe consent of local residents. It has condemned the presence of the Uttam Nagar liquorshop within less than fifty metres of a school. "A school teacher reported that a complaint had beenlodged earlier against the liquor shop owing to difficultiesbeing faced by the students and teachers of the school but noaction has ever be taken for it," it said. A woman resident of the area said during the publichearing that it had become difficult to use gate no 3 of themetro station as it was next to the liquor shop as the peoplethere engaged in eve-teasing and misbehaviour, the statementsaid. "No liquor shops will be allowed to be opened withoutpermission of women and local residents and Delhi will not beturned into a liquor market," rebel AAP MLA from Timarpur,Pankaj Pushkar, who was present at the public hearing wasquoted as saying in the statement. The earlier two public hearings were held at KasturbaNagar and Karawal Nagar as part of Swaraj Abhiyan’s campaignagainst the liquor policy of Delhi government, which hasopened 399 new shops. Yadav said the next Jan Sunvai will be held on September4 near Jain Mandir in Model Town here. PTI HMP IKA RGIKA