The women activists had reason to celebrate. For, after years of complaints, protests and demostrations, a wine shop and a country liquor shop located right in the midst of a residential area in Akurdi were sealed on the directives of the district collectorate late last evening. The action, says local corporator Javed Shaikh, came only after District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar sounded district collector Prabhakar Deshmukh on February 4.

In the last six months, the women activists had launched a sustained campaign for closure of the wine shop located in the ground floor of an apartment building. "At the wine shop, men used to drink standing outside creating nuisance for women and girls using the road. The scene has been no different at the country liquor shop," say Geeta Sutar and Mumtaz Inamdar.

Corporator Shaikh said the two temples are also located in the area. "Yet the shops were allowed to be set up by the officials," he said. "Both the wine and liquor shops spoiled the atmosphere of the area. Women and girls had no freedom to walk without hearing lewd comments from the drunk men," lament Alka Kamble and Lata Chavan.

Inamdar said despite repeated requests to the police, excise officials and the district collectorate to close down the shops, no action was taken.