Unauthorised liquor, meat shops to remain closed along Kanwar Yatra route

By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Ahead of the commencement of the Kanwar yatra that takes place during the month of Sawan, all unauthorised shops selling liquor and meat will be shut down along the yatra route in Gautam Budh Nagar from July 14 to 26, it has been decided.

As per the directives of Noida district magistrate, officials will survey the entire route to spot such unauthorised shops.

The kanwariya movement is concentrated between Ghaziabad and Greater Noida in Gautam Budh Nagar. There are two routes in Dadri, three in Jarcha, and one each in Dankaur, Kasna, Jewar and Rabupura.

According to Noida DM Suhas LY, the purpose behind shutting down all unauthorised liquor and meat shops along the Kanwar Yatra route is to ensure an incident-free, smooth yatra.

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The district administration officials claimed that it was imperative to ensure maintenance of law and order without any congregation of miscreants along the route. Officials said that while most of the liquor shops were legal, meat shops usually do not have any license to operate and fell in the unauthorised category.

Even the Noida police commissionerate is geared up for the upcoming Yatra commencing from the first day of Sawan on July 14.

The police department has provided the district administration a list of puddles, dark spots, broken and waterlogged patches on roads, mounds of garbage needing removal, street light poles without bulbs to be rectified before the commencement of the Yatra.

The DM has instructed the authorities concerned in different departments to take necessary action.

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As per joint commissioner Love Kumar, the entire route had been surveyed and there has been an adequate deployment of personnel to ensure that the law-and-order situation was maintained.

The DM clarified that on specific dates when the Kanwariya movement will be high, all shops selling liquor and meat will be asked to remain shut. This will be done with the aid of the police department.

Kanwar yatra will be held this year between July 14 and July 26. It is an annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees, known as Kanwariyas, to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch Ganga waters which they then take back to their respective areas to anoint Shiv lingams in temples during Sawan.