Residents fume as toddy shop turns party ground for tipplers

HYDERABAD: A fight broke out between residents of BJR Nagar of

Malkajgiri

area and a

toddy

shop located at the residential area on Sunday. The local residents said that the toddy shop is within 100 meters from schools and expressed concerned about those in the locality.


According to police, the residents picked up a fight and broke a few bottles kept in the shop. “The residents claim that they have been facing trouble because of the toddy shop. People drink toddy and create nuisance in the area. The toddy shop owner has license and permission from officials of the excise and prohibition department. No case was registered on this issue,” said Malkajgiri sub-inspector Ashok.

In 2017, the toddy shop had reportedly been shifted outside the residential area, however, last week the shop had reverted to the same place. “On the same day the toddy shop opened last week, some Rs 12,000 was stolen from a shop nearby...people are now concerned about their safety,especially women and children,” a resident of BJR Nagar told TOI.

Two schools in the area, Takshashila Public School and Shanker Vidyalaya High School, have written to the prohibition and excise department raising an objection on the opening of the toddy shop. “The toddy shop...is causing inconvenience to parents, teachers and students. Request you to... direct the license holder to shift the toddy shop to some other place, far from school,” read the letter by Takshila Public School to the excise department commissioner. A similar request was also made by Shanker Vidyalaya High school. The schools have also sent a copy of the letter to Malkajgiri police and to Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumanth Rao. Residents too have written a letter to the excise department stating that the license holder has not obtained the consent of residents to operate a toddy business.