Madhepura village wages war on liquor, drugs with Rs25k fine

Patna: Fed up with the drug menace, a village in Madhepura district has come up with its own strict justice system. In a bold and unusual decision, residents of Sahugarh Panchayat in Madhepura Sadar block have decided to impose a social fine of Rs 25,000 on anyone caught consuming liquor or drugs or selling narcotics in the village. The villagers have also pledged that if someone is jailed in a drug case, his own family will not come forward to get him bail. The idea is simple - create strong social pressure to keep people away from drugs and choke the supply chain at the village level.The decision was taken on Oct 17 at a meeting held on the school premises of Sahugarh Panchayat. The meeting was chaired by mukhiya Mukesh Kumar and attended by present and former mukhiyas, Panchayat representatives, BJP Madhepura District President Deepak Kumar and a large number of villagers. In the meeting, everyone took a collective pledge to make Sahugarh ‘Nasha Mukt’.It was decided that collective efforts would be made to stop all kinds of intoxication and their sale. Violators will face social action and the administration will also be informed for legal action.The villagers also prepared a written resolution letter - a ‘Sankalp Patra’ - which was signed by the Panches and hundreds of villagers.Villagers said just talking about drugs would not solve the problem. “Only discussion will not work; the whole village will have to unite,” said Santosh Rai, one of the participants.Sahugarh mukhiya Mukesh Kumar said, “Making the panchayat drug-free is not the responsibility of one person. All villagers will have to come forward.”The villagers hope that the fear of a Rs 25,000 fine and social boycott will deter users and sellers and increase awareness, he added.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Patna | Silver Rate in Patna | Bank Holidays in Patna | Public Holidays in Patna | Patna AQI | Weather in Patna | Petrol Price in Patna | Diesel Price in Patna | CNG Price in Patna | LPG Price in PatnaStay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.