Telangana: People in this village are ‘cheerful’ for last 35 years, after voluntarily enforcing ban on liquor
The liquor ban is effectively enforced by residents of Tammara Bandapalem, a village that was recently merged in Kodad municipality.
Suryapet: Believe it or not! There is an effective ban on liquor sale and consumption in this village for the last three and half decades. And be prepared for another surprise. The ban on liquor is effectively enforced by residents of the village themselves.
Welcome to Tammara Bandapalem, a village that was recently merged in Kodad municipality. T Bandapalem, situated about 41 km from the district headquarters of Suryapet has the distinction of being a village where prohibition is enforced and followed scrupulously by about 500 residents.
The violators are slapped with a penalty of Rs 500 and they also face a social boycott of one day. But there are hardly any violators. There are about 100 families, with a population of about 500 in the village that now constitutes third and fourth wards of Kodad municipality.
So what led to the voluntary imposition of prohibition?
Villagers recall two of the inebriated persons quarrelled on dasara festival day following which the villagers sat together and adopted a resolution never to consume or sell liquor again. Interestingly, even during any elections, contesting candidages shun from supplying liquor to this village.
There are no liquor shops in the village obviously and the liquor is neither offered to visiting guests in any familiy. The liquor ban has indeed brought a qualitative change in the lives of people here. There are no quarrels among families or even within the families.
Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, a villager B Saidulu said even after Tamara Bandapalem being merged with Kodad municipality, thus becoming part of the town, there is no change in people’s decision on liquor ban. A few years ago, someone tried to secretly run a belt shop in the area, but none purchased liquor from him. He himself had shut down the belt shop.
The councilor of Tammara Bandapalem (third ward) Samineni Ramesh said that the people of Tammara Bandapalem stand as models for their commitment on ban on liquor consumption and sale.
