Kendrapara: A woman has won accolades from fellow villagers for daring to complain about her alcoholic husband to the village youth association who had decided to rid the village of alcohol.
Sources said as liquor had been destroying families, the youths of Purusottampur in Kendrapara block had decided to make the village alcohol-free. It was decided in 2014 that no villager would consume liquor or encourage liquor trade.
It was also unanimously decided by the villagers that if any villager is found consuming or selling liquor the youth association will impose a fine. The youths declared that if anybody informed about a fellow villager consuming liquor the person would be rewarded with Rs 1,000.
Sasmita Jena, the wife of Umesh Jena of Purrusottampur, had faced trouble from her alcoholic husband. So she decided to make her husband give up his liquor habit. Recently, she informed the matter to the youth association and also submitted evidence of her husband consuming alcohol.
The youth association imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Umesh Jena for violating the decision of the village not to consume liquor and also awarded Sasmita Jena for standing up against her husband, said Prasant Jena, the convener of the village youth association.
The villagers said that 18 SHGs have lent their support to the youths to make their village liquor-free. They have been spreading awareness door to door and also affixing posters on the liquor ban.
Umesh Jena has now given up liquor along with some other alcoholics fearing that they would be fined Rs 5,000.
The youths and SHG women have now made Purussotampur alcohol-free. The village has set an example by saying no to alcohol, said Gokulananda Mohapatra, a villager.
Collector Samarth Verma said the youths and women of Purussotampur have done a big thing by making their village alcohol-free.
PNN