ONGOLE, January 26, 2011
Dalit women corner Minister
Staff Reporter
Belt shops ruining our lives, they say at Rachabanda at Vasipallipadu
With worry writ large on their faces, dalit women brought to the fore
the persistent problem of belt shops ruining their lives as Municipal
Administration Minister M. Mahidhar Reddy descended on the remote
Vasipallipadu for an interaction with the commoners at the village
square on Tuesday.
"We will not allow you to go back till belt shops are banished from
our village," yelled a 25-year-old woman all of a sudden taking by
surprise revenue and police officials as also the Minister who was
accompanied by Ongole MP M. Srinivasulu Reddy and Congress MLA from
Kondepei G.V. Seshu during the second day Rachabanda programme.
Amid tight security, the Minister, after focusing on the listed
subjects, touched the issue raised by women and said: "It is not to
proper to project as if we are encouraging sale of liquor at the
village square everyday."
Action promised
"I will direct the officials concerned to take action," he added,
before winding up the interaction.
"The government has provided white ration cards, pensions, health
cards under Rajiv Arogyasri and also arranged for loans from banks
almost to all of us. But, its the belt shops which are ruining our
lives," 30-year-old P. Manoja said while talking to The Hindu as the
Minister's convoy left the hamlet motoring down the bumpy road leading
to the Chennai-Kolkata highway. Forty-five-year-old Arogyam, leader of
a SHG, said: "In our village, with a population of over 1000, each
couple works hard and, on an average, takes home Rs. 600 to Rs. 700
every day. Yet, they are unable to lead a peaceful life because of
addiction to liquor by their men." Members of five groups in the
village defaulted payment of dues to banks because of the vice among
men, she added.
Another woman Matta Yesuamma said: "Both my husband and son drink
together in the house as liquor is easily available through these belt
shops. We are left with little money to take care of education of our
children. It will be nice if liquor is banned altogether."
# It is not proper to project as if we are encouraging liquor sale: Minister
# Five SHGs defaulted payment because of the vice, says a group leader
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