No licence for ahataa to liquor shop: Minister

BHOPAL: Finance minister Raghavji Bhai told the state assembly he would issue directions to the district collector to remove encroachments from near a liquor shop at the GTB complex in the city.
Replying to a call attention motion on Thursday, the minister first denied any encroachment by Murlidhar Sadana-owned liquor shop in the GTB complex. The minister said it was a licensed shop and being run in compliance with all norms.However, he said no licence was given to the shop to run ahataa, an adjacent room to drink.
Earlier, initiating the debate on the issue, Sukhdeo Panse of the Congress and BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh told the House that the shop was being run in violation of norms. Panse said the shopkeeper encroached upon the space and drinking in the open was creating problems for common man. He also said the GTB Housing welfare Society also lodged a complaint with the collector and the MP Housing Board, the agency that owns the GTB complex.BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh said the shop in heart of the city -- the New market-- and was being run “illegally”. He said he had also lodged a complaint with the collector, but in vain. He said the “open drinking” in and around shop should be stopped immediately.
However, the minister insisted that there was nothing illegal.Dhruv Singh then asked him to issue specific directions to the collector to remove encroachments around the shop in seven days.
TOI carried a story on the issue on November 3. This was followed by suspension of four police personnel who were posted at police post close to the liquor shop.
Now, the issue has been raised in Vidhan Sabha also. But it is business as usual at the ‘open air bar’.