RAIPUR: Chainpur village in Ambikapur district, north Chhattisgarh, took a decision to ban liquor, tobacco-based products and imposed Rs 5000 fine to ensure strict compliance in public places.Chainpur gram sabha has enforced the new ruling, which is monitored by a committee of rural women.“It’s the women who took the initiative and the Gram Sabha was called to frame basic guidelines for implementing the exercise. After imposing the ban, we are witnessing a positive change within our jurisdiction area. Anyone found violating will have to cough up punitive fines of Rs 5000. A decision has also been taken to seek help of the court for legal proceedings against the accused”, Amerikan Bakhla, village sarpanch, told this newspaper.Five women each from the six mohalla of the Chainpur village are part of the monitoring committee, the sarpanch added.The geographical area of Chainpur village is 429.46 hectares, situated 65 km from the Ambikapur district headquarter and has a total population of over 1500 people. The literacy rate of the village is around 47 percent with over 95 percent of the total population being tribals. There is no Schedule Caste member residing in the village.The women committee members elucidate the reasons behind enforcing the ban is the health concerns for all besides curbing anti-social activities and behaviours including domestic violence in the village.The committee remains watchful on the sale, display, distribution and consumption of liquor, cigarette and tobacco-based chewing products. The committee will also engage in the counselling & de-addiction process locally.The retail shops too have been instructed not to sell the “prohibited products” like alcohol, cigarette, gutka, tobacco, bidi (hand-rolled unfiltered processed tobacco flakes wrapped in a tendu leaf) and even drugs in the village. The shopkeepers found indulging in the sale or procurement too will have to pay the fine.Gram Vikas Samiti has been authorised to collect the fine which would be used for the welfare and development of the village.
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