Bowing to Anna Hazare, State to set up Gram Rakshak Dal

Accepting social activist Anna Hazare’s demand to set up ‘Gram Rakshak Dal’ to control consumption and brewing of illicit liquor in the state, the state excise department has prepared a draft to amend the Maharashtra Prohibition Act. The bill seeking to amend the Act to set up Gram Rakshak Dal will come before the legislature this December for its approval.

If the bill gets approved by the legislature, every gram sabha will elect 15 gram rakshaks who will act as police informants and help in curbing illicit liquor. However, the opposition has termed the move as “another nuisance” after controversies related to self-appointed ‘gau rakshaks’.

Clause 134 of the Act would be amended to make a provision to set up Gram Rakshak Dal. “They will be given rights to inform the police or the excise department about consumption, sale and brewing of illicit liquor in their area. The gram sabha of the concerned villages would select the gram rakshak,” an official from the excise department told The Asian Age.

Mr Hazare had suggested that the government form the Gram Rakshak Dal to prevent the use of illicit liquor in the state.

Officials from the excise department had met Mr Hazare in September to discuss the issue.

However, the opposition has slammed the initiative. “It is nothing but giving an authority for the BJP workers to do extortion. They will surely create nuisance like gau rakshaks,” NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.

“Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the officials do not work in the state. By appointing BJP workers as gram rakshaks, the party wants to run a parallel government. It is dangerous to give police-like rights to the gram rakshaks,” he added.

In other amendments in the same Act, the state is going for stricter punishment and higher fine for various crimes like consumption of illicit liquor, possessing illegal liquor etc.

The punishment for the first time offender, currently a fine of Rs 50,000 and three to five years imprisonment, will be increased to Rs one lakh.

For the second time offender, the fine will be increased to Rs 2 lakh and for the third time offender the fine would be `5 lakh, the official said.