In a First, Panvel to Conduct a Women-Only Referendum on Alcohol Ban

In the Panvel region of Maharashtra, corporators have gone above party lines to approve a resolution in the PMC general body meeting. The resolution? A ban on alcohol. The first Municipal Corporation to pass such a judgment, it is also the first to incorporate women into this decision.

Sudhakar Shinde, the PMC commissioner, said, “According to the law, over 50% of women of each designated area in Panvel will have to vote for the ban in their respective areas for the decision to be implemented. The referendum will be conducted by the District Collector through ballot paper.”

The city of Panvel is infamous for its bars, and its consumption of alcohol.

People have been perplexed, and since women usually bear the brunt of alcohol consumption, in the form of domestic violence and loss of income, the corporation felt it was their right to choose whether or not they want a ban in their area. “There is no politics in this. Everyone wants to rid the region of alcohol menace that has destroyed several homes,” said PMC house leader Paresh Thakur.

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As the proposal was met with no resistance from either of the party, it seems the resolution to take the vote of women was passed unanimously.

Even though the bill seems to be favourable among the general population of the region, bar and liquor shop owners have opposed the move. They have stated that they will take the matter to the courts.

Featured Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons/ Flickr

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