A positive move from the civic body of the city, as the Legal Committee of NMC has recently recommended the general body a proposal seeking ban on letting out shops for liquor stores or restaurants serving liquor on properties owned by NMC.
As per the information, the general body meeting of NMC is scheduled for December 20 at Shrimant Raje Raghuji Nagar Bhavan; Mahal.During the meeting of Legal Committee, the members had taken up issue of open sale of liquor on NMC property located at Kamal Square. Similarly, he also cited various instances wherein shops are owned by NMC and let out to traders are also being misused.
Dharampal Meshram, Chairperson, Legal Committee, said that the Committee has taken a decision not to allow liquor trade on civic body owned buildings it needs endorsement from general body as it is a policy decision. The administration informed that at present 12 establishments including at some ottas the liquor is being sold in retail in NMC establishments.
The scrutiny of documents by Legal Committee revealed that a liquor shop functioning underneath station Road fly-over could be dangerous to lives of citizens and also damage the public property in case of any mishap. This was done since year 2009 but before that no such point was mentioned in agreements for leasing out NMC properties in markets. Therefore a proposal seeking NMC nod to apply the 2009 lease agreement with retrospective effect and enforce total ban on functioning of liquor shops in civic properties is brought on agenda of House. The administration further clarified that NMC has already banned conduct of businesses like flour mills or stocking inflammable products that could pose danger to building or to people at large.