Booze lovers in Nagpur have discovered a clever workaround. They are beating the three-day restriction on liquor sales ahead of the civic polls. How? They are making a quick dash to wine shops located just outside the city limits.
Poll Code Creates a Loophole
The election code of conduct does not apply to certain surrounding areas. These include places like Kamptee, Kalmeshwar, Besa-Pipla, and Bhilgaon. Most of these locations fall under municipal councils or nagar panchayats. Crucially, their local elections were concluded last month.
Serpentine Queues Form at Border Shops
Wine shops in these peripheral areas are now seeing massive crowds. Some shops are barely 15 kilometers from Nagpur's famous Zero Mile marker. Long, winding queues have become a common sight as people rush to stock up.
Sources indicate several reasons for this buying frenzy. Some residents are preparing for post-poll victory celebrations. Others might be planning to drown their sorrows in case of defeat. Many simply want to unwind after the exhausting election process.
Authorities Plan Crackdown
District Collector Vipin Itankar has taken note of the situation. He stated that the Commissioner of Police and the Excise Superintendent will be alerted. Their mission is to conduct immediate raids on these border-area shops.
"We will stop the influx of liquor into the city from the outskirts," Itankar said emphatically. The goal is clear: to ensure the upcoming civic polls are not influenced by the availability of alcohol.
Police on High Alert
Nagpur police are now on high alert. They are prepared to set up strategic checkpoints on roads leading back into the city. The focus will be on vehicles like cars and motorcycles.
Officers will be inspecting these vehicles for any cartons of liquor. The aim is to seize any alcohol being smuggled back into Nagpur, thereby enforcing the pre-poll ban effectively.
