New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday, said that complaints related to public nuisance caused by inebriated people will be addressed through “mohalla sabha” in their areas and the decision made by a majority of residents on the issue would be binding on the government.
“Manish (Sisodia) and I have come here today as outsiders. We want to see how the basic nature of democracy works. A decision, which directly affects a group of people, should be made by them only.
“If an officer or a minister takes a decision, there are chances of things going awry. There could be pressure on them or they could take a bribe. When decisions are made in closed rooms by those who are not affected by it, things may go wrong,” he announced.
The chief minister was speaking during a people’s meeting held in Tilak Nagar in West Delhi.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also heads the excise department, said: “In a democracy, people take decisions.... Liquor, per se, is not a problem. However, conflicts arising out of it are a problem (sharab samasya nahin hai, usse hone wala utpad samasya hai).”
“Many people kill themselves by drinking, but that is another issue,” he said at the meeting.
The Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Tilak Nagar, Jarnail Singh, claimed: “About 90 per cent of the people, who attended the ‘mohalla sabha’ today, were in favour of closing the liquor shop in the locality. The owner, who attended the meeting, said it should not be closed.”
The Delhi chief minister said during the meeting, “For the first time, I believe such a meeting has been convened. This will give direction to the rest of the country too in dealing with liquor related nuisance.”
“All sides kept their view points... Due to certain activities (eve-teasing, harassment, etc.) people are beginning to get affected. The decision taken by you people would be made binding on the government and it will be followed,” he said.
