BHUBANESWAR: Prohibitionists on Friday decided that they will hold a month-long awareness drive in different villages between September 2 and October 2 demanding total prohibition in the state.The activists under the aegis of Milita Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhijan (MONNA), an outfit fighting for total prohibition in the state, declared war against liquor and prepared their plan of action for the coming days. In view of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, they will hold rallies, processions, meetings and foot marches to sensitize people and collect signatures declaring their fight against liquor.The signatures will be submitted to MLAs of their respective assembly constituencies on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti . They will also create groups of youths and women to protest against the increasing menace of liquor sale in their area.MONNA president Padma Charan Nayak said they are planning to conduct a meeting of noted prohibitionists of the country in Delhi by last week of September to discuss about the increasing menace of liquor consumption.He said their movement is bearing fruits as several villages and panchayats have started making their areas liquor-free. It is getting support from the rural people, he added.“We have been demanding the state government to ban the liquor sale in the state, but it does not pay heed to our pleas. We will make it a poll issue ahead of the general election 2019. We will urge the chief minister to make our demand a poll promise like Nitish Kumar of Bihar ,” he added.Nayak said they will again hold a state-level discussion on November 23 and review the progress of the movement. “We will not sit silently till the state government takes any policy decision to stop sale and manufacturing of liquor in the state,” he added.An activist said drunkard people especially male persons beat their wives, family members or children. It not only impacts on children’s health and education, it damages filial bond, he added.

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