Not Daman, Bacchus flock to Olpad villages in Surat for the finest booze

Surat : Bacchus can be found on the open grounds of villages in the Olpad taluka, about 15 kilometres from Surat, consuming chicken and munchies alongside country liquor and Indian Manufactured Foreign Liquor (IMFL) without fear of being apprehended by police.

Over 25 villages in Olpad have earned the dubious reputation of being “free flowing liquor dens” in the Surat district. It is difficult for an outsider to determine whether the prohibition policy is still in effect in Gujarat or if it is only on paper.

On weekends, people from Surat and surrounding areas flock to these villages to enjoy their favourite spirited drinks. The farm fields in the villages turn into the assembly points for the Bacchus where they are served with country liquor and IMFL along with chicken and munchies.

The beach in Dabhari village, Olpad taluka, is the Bacchus’ preferred location. Dabhari village is well-known among devotees for its historical Khodiyar Mata temple. Thousands of devotees visit the temple during the holy Hindu months to seek Mother Khodiyar’s blessing. A few miles away is the beach, which is lined with small huts from which visitors are served liquor.

In Baroda, a faulty batch of ‘illicit’ liquor killed 125 people. More than 150 people were killed in Ahmedabad, according to reports. It was 42 villagers in Botad district and Ahmedabad’s Dhandhuka municipality. The first occurred in 1989, the second in 2009, and the third in July 2022.

Darshan Naik, general secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), has written a letter to Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State for Home, highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in villages in Olpaad taluka and threatening to launch an agitation against free-flowing liquor.

The Olpad police station and the Olpad taluka panchayat office are both nearby, according to Naik. Despite this, dozens of country liquor ‘bhattis’ serve illegal liquor to the public, and bootleggers sell IMFL right under the nose of the police.

“The Surat Range IG has appointed ‘Gaamdoots’ (village messanger) in all the villages in Surat district for coordinating with the local police to curb illegal activities. Is it true that these village messengers exist on paper?” Naik inquired. “In January 2023, a Gujarat State Vigilance team raided Karamla village in Olpad taluka and seized IMFL worth Rs 21 lakh. This shows that the local police and the Surat Range IG are in deep slumber or they are receiving huge amount of kickbacks from the bootlegers”