All unauthorised shops selling liquor & meat to be shut down in Noida

|HT|

Ahead of the commencement of the Kanwar yatra, all unauthorised shops selling liquor and meat would be shut down along the Kanwar yatra route in Gautam Budh Nagar from July 14 to 26, Noida’s district administration said. The district magistrate (DM) ordered that officials should survey the entire route and check if there are such unauthorised shops.

“We will ensure that no unauthorised liquor or meat shops operate along the Kanwar route. The purpose is to ensure a smooth route without having any miscreants disturbing peace,” said Suhas LY. Officials said that the purpose of the decision was to ensure that law and order is maintained and there is no congregation of miscreants along the route that may lead to tensions. Officials suggested that while most liquor shops are legal, meat shops usually do not have any license to operate and are unauthorised.

“We have surveyed the route and deployment has been done. We will be taking all necessary steps to ensure that the law-and-order situation is maintained,” said Love Kumar, joint commissioner of police. The police department has given a list of dark spots, broken or waterlogged patches, areas where street light poles are available but no lightbulbs, areas where garbage needs cleaning and other areas where arrangements and repair work is needed along the Kanwar route. The DM has instructed authorities and other all the concerned departments to take necessary action.

“The work has already begun and we will be fully prepared within the next few days. I have written to all concerned departments to follow through on all the points mentioned in detail in the letters,” said the DM.

Most of the kanwariya movement happens from Ghaziabad to Greater Noida in Gautam Budh Nagar. There are two routes in Dadri, three in Jarcha, and one each in Dankaur, Kasna, Jewar and Rabupura. The DM also said that on some specific dates when the movement of pilgrims will be high, all such shops will be asked to remain shut.

This will, however, be done with prior information and along with the police department.

Kanwar yatra will be held this year between July 16 and July 26. It is an annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees, known as Kanwariyas, to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch Ganga waters which they take back to their respective areas to anoint Shiv Lingams in temples.

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