Madhya Pradesh is headed towards total prohibition with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announcing that all liquor shops would be closed across the state in a phased manner.
"Alcohol prohibition will be implemented in the entire state by closing all liquor shops in a phased manner," Chouhan announced on Sunday while addressing a programme at village Neemkhera (Heerapur) of Narsinghpur district.
In the first phase, the state government closed all the shops falling within a radius of five kilometre from the banks of river Narmada on either side. In the next phase, the liquor shops would not be allowed to open in residential localities, near educational institutes or religious places.Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Chouhan reiterated that a de-addiction drive would also be launched in the state.
During past one month, several protests against the liquor shops have been reported from across the state.
On 5 April, the protesters had burnt two vehicles and damaged four others in Bareli town of Raisen district when Excise Department was trying to shift the liquor shops from a highway to a local residential colony.
Besides, protests were also reported from several parts of the state, including Indore, Sagar, Burhanpur, Chhatarpur, Vidisha, Narsinghpur, Satna, Morena, Dewas and some other towns during past one month.
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