The Kendrapara district administration has ordered to keep all the liquor shops closed in the district on January 17 and January 22.
It has been done in view of the inauguration of the Srimandir Parikrama Project in Puri on January 17 (Today) and the consecration ceremony of Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
In an order, the district Excise Office stated, “Due to expectation of a large gathering at various places and the devotional nature of gathering, the Collector, Kendrapara has been pleased to close and seal all IMFL off Shops, IMFL ON shops, Country liquor shops and Tari shops functioning within Kendrapara District on 17-01-2024 and 22-01-2024 in view of the inauguration of ceremony of the Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa at Puri and The Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration Ceremony respectively.”
“The shops will be sealed after the sale hour of 16-01-2024 till opening hour of 18-01-2024 and the sale hour of the 21-01-2024 till opening hour of 23-01-2024 for preservation of public peace and maintenance of law and order,” the order said.
Speaking to OTV, District Collector Amrit Ruturaj said, “We have ordered closure of liquor shops on Wednesday because apart from Puri and Ayodhya, there are other temples and social organisations in Kendrapara, who are observing the inauguration of Parikrama Project and Ram Temple as well. There are plans of yajnas and pujas in these temples today. So we have decided to close all the liquor shops on these two days.”
However, it is still not clear whether the Odisha government has made any such liquor ban for the State on these two dates.
It is pertinent to mention here that seven States—Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Haryana and Uttarakhand have already announced to close all liquor shops in their States on January 22.