Bhadrak: At a time when women continue to spearhead anti-liquor campaigns across the state, liquor shop licences have been allotted in the names of 11 women in Bhadrak district, triggering debate and drawing widespread public attention.
The district administration recently conducted a lottery for liquor shop licenses at the Collectorate. The draw was overseen by the District Collector, who selected the lottery slips blindfolded. The licenses, valid for five years from July 1, were awarded for 32 Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) outlets and 17 country liquor shops.
A total of 640 applications were received, including 467 for IMFL outlets and 173 for country liquor shops. The non-refundable application fees generated Rs 18.2 crore in revenue for the state government from Bhadrak district alone.
Applicants were required to pay Rs 3 lakh for an IMFL shop licence and Rs 2 lakh for a country liquor outlet. The allotment of licences to 11 women has become a major talking point, particularly as women’s self-help groups and social organisations have been actively protesting liquor sales across the state.
In several instances, women have staged demonstrations, damaged liquor outlets and destroyed bottles, alleging that alcohol consumption is harming families and communities. According to official records, women secured licences for four country liquor shops in Dhamra and Ghanteswar under Chandbali block as well as Betada and Rajgharpokhari under Basudevpur block.
Several IMFL off-shop outlets in Edtal, Chudamani, Brahmanigaon, Dhamra, Dobal, Mato and Bhadrak municipality were also allotted to women applicants. Earlier, 15 women secured licenses for foreign liquor retail outlets in a lottery draw conducted by the district administration in Keonjhar June 2.
Observers note that women frequently protest outside the Collectorate demanding restrictions on liquor sales. Against that backdrop, the allocation of liquor business licences to women has generated considerable discussion across the district. The manner in which the lottery was conducted has further fuelled the debate.
The move has drawn criticism from women’s rights activists and social organisations, who describe it as contradictory and insensitive to the hardships faced by women affected by alcohol abuse. Rajalakshmi Mohapatra, president of Matrushakti Foundation, said the decision appears to be a “dark chapter” for a civilised society.
She said women across rural areas have often led protests against liquor outlets, blaming alcohol for destroying families and contributing to the premature deaths of husbands and sons. “Entrusting liquor shops to women, who themselves bear the brunt of alcohol-related social problems, is difficult to justify.
Handing over liquor businesses to mothers and sis ters amounts to a mockery of women’s empowerment,” Mohapatra said. Echoing similar concerns, Chaitali Khilar, a leader of the Tejaswini Women’s Organisation, alleged that the government is expanding liquor sales primarily to increase revenue.
“While women continue to oppose liquor sales, opening liquor shops in their names is highly condemnable. We urge the government to reconsider such measures,” Khilar said.