Vijayawada: Protest against wine shops, bars

Vijayawada: Residents of  State Bank of India  Colony and P&T Colony on Pantakaluva Road, Patamata, in the city are facing problems with bars and wine shops operating in between residential areas. The residents of the colony, which is two km from Benz Circle, are facing issues with increase in number of bars and wine shops near the colony.

With the announcement of new liquor policy, women’s associations have started agitating against wine shops and bars in residential areas. Three bars are located on Pantakaluva Road and PSC Bose Road in Auto Nagar creating serious inconvenience to the residents of P & T Colony.

“Bars and wine shops besides residential area have become a problem for us. Despite complaints to the police and excise department, wine shops managements are ignoring us and continuing their business creating inconvenience. Traffic jams have become common at nights,”says Kunapareddy Ravindra Babu, a businessman residing in the colony.

Women in the colony are getting scared to come out of their houses with the inconvenience created by alcoholics. “Bars and wine shops in the colony have become a big problem for us. Alcoholics are behaving in an objectionable way, passing comments on us. There are three bars near our colony and in addition to this, one more bar is allocated based on population. We request the government to take back proposals on new bars and wine shops in the colony,” said K. Jayavani, a homemaker.

Air pollution with industries in Auto Nagar is also a major problem faced by colony residents and groundwater got polluted.

“Mosquitoes thrive in recent time with rain water blocked in the colony and no official from the civic body has come forward to listen to our problems,” says N. Anil Sekhar, who runs a provisions store.