Denied jobs under MGNREGS, villagers take to hooch trade
They claim active connivance of local police
Denial of jobs by the Pradhan (village chief) under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) forced them to undertake the hooch trade, claimed youths of Kusumhi Kothi village in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district, who are involved in selling illicit liquor.
The hooch trade has acquired a form of cottage industry here, which is just 275 km apart from the state capital.
The startling disclosure was made on Sunday when police officials held a meeting with the villagers in a bid to secure their cooperation to fight the spreading menace of illicit liquor in the area.
“Four youths of the village, who were allegedly involved in the hooch trade, told us they had turned to selling illicit liquor after the pradhan refused them work under MGNREGS”, police officials said.
“We do not have a job and have no money to start a business... Get us job under MGNREGS and we will stop this”, the youths said according to the officials.
The officials summoned the pradhan of the village and asked him to provide jobs to the youths under the rural job scheme.
“The villagers, especially the womenfolk, also told us the hooch trade had been flourishing with active connivance of the local police...'', they said.
Police have decided to form youth-led committees in every village in a bid to involve them in fighting the menace.
Pledge
“The youths of Kusumhi Kothi village took a pledge not to allow hooch trade in their village”, the officials said.
Gorakhpur and its adjoining districts of Deoria, Kushinagar, Maharajganj along with Kanpur, Allahabad and several other districts in the state have been badly hit by the hooch trade.
Reports of deaths after consuming illicit liquor keep on pouring at regular intervals.
Police had recently demolished several illicit liquor manufacturing units in different parts of Gorakhpur and its adjoining districts.
Arrest
In Allahabad, the womenfolk were found to be at the forefront of selling the killer brew. An excise department team had recently arrested three women in Dhumanganj area in this connection.
According to sources, even minor children are involved in manufacturing and selling hooch in many villages .
Sources said kuchhi daru (hooch) is distributed like soft drinks free of cost during elections by candidates of various political outfits to garner votes. With the Assembly polls in the state round the corner, the officials stress the need for taking urgent steps to tackle the problem.
