GADAG: Liquor is being sold illegally in several shops adjacent to the Government Kannada Higher Primary School for Girls and the Government Kannada Higher Primary School for Boys at Abbigeri village in Ron taluk in gross violation of norms. As per rules, liquor and tobacco products cannot be sold in a radius of 200 metres around educational institutions.
In a sting operation, Public TV has revealed that liquor is being blatantly sold in hotels, tea shops and egg rice centres adjacent to the schools in Abbigeri. However, officials seem to have turned a blind eye to the goings-on. Vested interests have seemingly encroached upon government land next to the schools to run businesses such as hotels, mutton and chicken stalls, salons, etc.
Despite this, neither the excise or departments, gram panchayat nor the Education Department have taken any steps to prevent the illegal sale of liqour near schools, say students and teachers. “There is a dirty pit near the school and drunkards mess up the place. The atmosphere here will affect children. The shops are just adjacent to the compound wall and should be moved elsewhere. We have informed the panchayat, but no action has been taken”, said a teacher of the girl’s school.
Another teacher of the boys’ school said the police and excise department officials are doing nothing about it. “People drinks and throw the bottles in the school campus. If we take up the issue, the shop owners bring pressure on us. They rent out the shops for selling liquor. All the shops should be evacuated”, he said.
M A Radder, Deputy Director of the Public Instruction Department, said, “We will write a letter to the gram panchayat and lodge a complaint. We will see what action they take. We will also issue notices to the BEO and the school headmasters and then take further steps”.