Toddy trouble in colonies

Youth turning addicts, creating nuisance, law & order problems. People plead with officials, Excise Minister Padma Rao, but in vain. Desperate residential welfare associations taking to streets to protest

• Contractors flout norms as officials turn blind eye
• Compounds in residential areas, even in apartments
• Telangana govt lifted the ban imposed by YSR govt
• Excise officials acting against norms set by their own government
• Even turn down objections by revenue authorities
• As per rules, permission of locals should be taken
• Toddy shops even in bastis in violation of the rules

Hyderabad: Toddy (kallu) mafia has descended on colonies and apartments under the GHMC limits, looking for space to set up compounds, following the government’s decision to allow them. The mafia is using arm-twisting measures and is not even leaving residential colonies of the rich and the poor alike, which are prohibited areas for such activity.

Toddy shops are sprouting not only on government lands but also in apartments. The YS Rajasekhara Reddy government banned the toddy shops in the capital in 2004, following widespread complaints of nuisance due to toddy shops in the city. However, the first Telangana State government lifted the ban on the Dasara festival day. The Excise department notified 103 shops in the city and gave permission for 50 of them.

No sooner did they start functioning in different parts of the city than complaints started pouring in. Most of the shops are facing strong opposition from local communities which have lodged complaints with the Excise Department and also in the police, their immediate removal.

With no favourable response from the authorities, some of the residential welfare associations have taken to streets. The establishment of toddy compound at Bharat Nagar in Musheerabad area drew huge protests from locals in the last three months. S Mallaiah, a local resident, said the compound was established in their colony by occupying a government land which was in litigation and pending before the High Court. Several representations were made to the officials and the Excise minister T Padma Rao, seeking removal of the compound, but in vain. Many youth working in and around area are getting addicted to toddy and are causing law and order problems, Mallaiah said.

Based on a complaint lodged by Bharat Nagar Basti women, Musheerabad Tahasildar in a letter dated December 3, 2014, to Musheerabad police informed that the land was owned by government and it was under dispute. “The proposal for toddy shop cannot be sanctioned as the matter is sub judice before the High Court.”

But, the Excise Department went ahead and granted permission, and the construction of the shop is under progress. In another case, Balaraj Goud one of the accused in liquor scam that came to light during the regime of N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the undivided AP, is allegedly granted permission to open toddy compound right inside the Srikrishna apartments located in the posh Sri Krishna Colony near RTC Cross Roads.

Sri Krishna Colony Association President V M Yadagiri alleged that the owner of the compound in collusion with the police and the excise department got all permissions to open the shop. Goud also allegedly encroached an open land, meant for public park beside the apartment, for parking the vehicles of boozers.

Shanti Agarwal, a resident of the apartment, criticised the TRS government for its negligent attitude towards addressing the grievances raised by the colony people. “We have been facing many problems from toddy contractors,” she said. M Srinivas, Secretary of Greater Hyderabad Central City Committee of CPM, said the toddy mafia with the active support of political parties was securing permission to set up the compounds in the name of societies.

As per rules, the societies should seek the permission of locals before opening the compounds. Shops should be established at least 100 metres away from the places of worship, educational institutions, labour colonies and other prohibited places, he added. But no such rule was followed, while giving permission indiscriminately, Srinivas deplored. Toddy shops are even permitted on encroached government lands.

For instance, the residents of SBI Colony Welfare Association, Gandhi Nagar, said the government permitted a toddy shop on a plot bearing GHMC token number 930, Kavadiguda, Street Number 11, Damodar Sanjeevaiah Nagar in SBI Colony of Gandhi Nagar. The complainant stated that the land was being occupied unauthorisedly. Local people are strongly opposing permission to the toddy shop at the said premises.

By:Patan Afzal Babu