Navi Mumbai: Calls for Kharghar band to oppose liquor license to hotel

Navi Mumbai: Residents of Kharghar have come together to oppose the liquor license issued to a bar in the node to serve liquor. Political parties, social organisations and residents' groups have called for a complete bandh on November 27. They are demanding cancellation of the license to maintain the status quo of being a no-liquor zone.

For the past 20 years, the erstwhile Kharghar Gram Panchayat and thereafter the Panvel Municipal Corporation did not issue a no-objection certificate for allowing liquor in the node. Recently, the state excise department issued a license to serve liquor at Nirsukh Restaurant and Bar in Sector 10 of Kharghar.

“Kharghar node houses a large number of educational institutions and more than 30,000 students reside. Allowing permission to serve liquor is not a good decision,” PWP worker Jagdish Gharat said, adding that residents and shop owners will be asked to join the protest.

Earlier, Gurunath Liladhar Patil – former sarpanch of Kharghar and Shiv Sena (Thackeray) city president – wrote to the police commissioner, municipal commissioner, state excise department, chief minister Eknath Shinde and others to revoke the license.

Social organisation SEVA Foundation has also supported the bandh. SEVA founder president Rajesh Shrivastava said that instead of targeting one liquor serving place, we should oppose all kinds of addictions including country-made liquor and any other drugs.

Meanwhile, the Raigad collector claimed that the license was issued as per the rule. After the formation of Panvel Municipal Corporation, the decision of a gram panchayat does not hold ground.