MAPUSA
Wine shops in many residential areas have turned into open public bars not only causing nuisance to local residents but also pose a threat to them.
The open consumption of liquor has made life miserable of locals who reside in the buildings housing such wine shops.
In one such building “ Angel Rose Apartment “ in Cunchelim, Mapusa there are two wine shops located on the ground floor of the apartment.
The residents of the building have complained to authorities that customers who patronise these wine shops purchase liquor and consume it in the open in the vicinity creating nuisance and harassing the locals residing in the apartment.
They said the customers, who are mostly young men, come in cars to the wine shops, park their vehicles in the building premises and drink in the open or stand in groups thereby disturbing the locals and causing a breach of peace in the area.
A resident informed that the customers refused to listen to requests not to drink within the building premises and on the contrary they turn abusive by shouting, teasing and making lewd gestures at the locals residing in the building.
“Having to face worse humiliation from such unruly customers, minor children, women and senior citizens in the building are constantly traumatised and feel unsafe,” the resident said.
The residents have also informed that the surroundings of the building was littered with broken glass bottles, cigarette packets and empty beer cans while some customers openly urinate inside the building premises at night leading to unhygienic conditions.
Another resident complained that the wine shops did not maintain timings and remained open till late nights with half shutter, creating noise and disturbing the peace of the people residing in the building.
It has been more than a month the residents have given a written complaint to the Mapusa municipality, excise, police and the health department but have not got any response from the authorities.
“Only the excise department officials had once visited the spot after our complaint but the wine shops which remain open throughout day and night were surprisingly found shut on that day,” a resident informed.
Local councilor of the area, Anand Bhaidkar informed that the civic body could do very little in the matter as it was the prerogative of the excise or the police to act on the nuisance.
“All the same, I will follow up the issue and talk to the owners of the wine shops to find a way out,” Bhaidkar said.
