Protests over liquor shops springing up in residential areas

Revenue in 7 years goes up from ₹10,833 cr. to ₹27,888 cr.

There is a squat black building without a signage at the corner of the road about 100 metres from St Ann’s Kindergarten School in Mallapur area.

“It used to be called Shiva Hotel earlier, but a liquor shop is now opening in the same place. There have been protests by college students and residents, so now we don’t know when it will open,” says Pappu Kumar Singh who runs a pan shop in the neighbourhood. There is a bus bay in front of the proposed liquor outlet and the word on the street is that it is going be moved to a different location.

“We learnt about the liquor shop on December 15. We did a silent dharna, and on December 20, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao promised to take action,” says the principal of St Ann’s Degree College. “The liquor shop would be next to the bus bay. Our young students will have to pass by the liquor shop once it opens, they will feel unsafe,” said the principal airing her concern.