Caught drinking? Spend 24 hours on tree in this Gujarat village

Taking the lead in effectively implementing prohibition laws, Kanesara village in Patan taluka of Gujarat has not only prescribed financial penalties for consuming liquor, but has also declared that any person ‘caught’ drinking will have to spend 24 hours on a tree.

The village has imposed a penalty of Rs 1,000 on those consuming liquor, while a fine of Rs 5,000 has been fixed for those who manufacture it. A penalty of Rs 1,000 will also be imposed on guests who enter the village in an inebriated state, village sarpanch A S Thakor said.

In addition to the penalty, the person consuming liquor will be asked to spend 24 hours on a tree, Thakor said. A youth has already been penalised for consuming alcohol. He pleaded with the villagers to allow him to get down from a tree on Saturday and vowed never to consume liquor again, Thakor added.

The effort has helped in the economic prosperity and welfare of the people, Manjuben Thakor, a villager, said. Gujarat is the only state in the country which has enacted prohibition laws.