BAJURA, SEPTEMBER 22

Budhiganga Municipality in Bajura has decided to fine Rs 5,000 if anybody is found drinking alcohol in the municipality.

The municipality also decided to slap a fine of Rs 15,000 on anybody found selling alcohol in the municipal area.

The municipality was declared a ‘no-alcohol zone; from the fiscal 2018-19. The municipal assembly has decided to ban consumption and sale of liquor in line with the same decision.

Mayor Dipak Bikram Shah said the municipality had decided to this effect after it was found that consumption and sale of liquor had led to rise in cases of crime and violence.

He said the municipality had fined 72 persons for consuming alcohol and seven for selling alcohol two months ago.

Basanta Thapa, a municipality staffer, said that Rs 248,500 was collected in fines ever since the new rule was enforced.

The municipality said that alcohol worth Rs 1,500,000 was seized from different places and destroyed.

Women rights activist Rukhmani Shah said the municipality had taken a good decision.

She said that cases of violence against women had gone down following the decision.

She said the municipality and police administration had to work harder to implement the decision effectively.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 23, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.