Janakpurdham, June 10: The sale of alcoholic beverages and meat and fish is rapidly increasing at Janakpurdham, a sacred place whose history goes back to the ancient King Janak. Such items which need to be restricted here are being sold rampantly.

The concerned authorities are tight lipped despite the growth of such businesses within the prohibited area of the town as well as at major squares and alleys.

A number of hotels, restaurants and lodges are in operation in and around the site of the Ram and Janaki temples at the heart of Janakpurdham.

It is the youths from well-to-do families who come to such hotels and restaurants in the evening.

This tendency has an adverse impact on devotees as well as tourists who come here with the pure objective of paying homage or getting a glimpse of the ancient Mithila town.

Major gateways to the town such as the railway station, the bus stand, the mills area, Pidadichowk, Ramananda Chowk, Murlichowk and Zeromile area have been turned into an animal slaughter area. Apart from this, liquor is also produced alongside.

Anyone who enters the town first comes across the sight of goat meat hanging at the butcher’s shop.

Asked what impact this leaves on devotees and tourists coming here, Janakpurdham Mayor Bajrang Prasad Shaha says that he is ready to initiate any measure to clamp down on such businesses. But he adds, “we are handicapped due to the lack of support from the concerned authorities.”

Dozens of people died in the month of Kartik, 2054 after consuming contaminated liquor. Following that incident, a meeting held under the chairmanship of then senior police superintendent Antaram Bhattarai decided to prohibit the sale of liquor and meat within the boundaries of Janakpurdham and in the peripheral area within a distance of 200 metres of the boundary. It further consented to declare a prohibition in the district against the sale of meat and liquor.

On being asked about this, Dhanusa district CDO Binoj Raj Gyawali said that he knew nothing about this and there is no plan at present to control such businesses.

Asked whether action against such businessmen is being initiated or not, police superintendent Manoj Kumar Shaha replies that it is not their duty. It is the duty of the municipality and if it needs cooperation, the police are ready to help.

A joint bench of then judges at the Appellate Court, Janakpur Purusottam Parajuli and Maheswar Lal Misra issued a prohibitory order against the sale of liquor and meat in Janakpurdham in line with the spirit of an order dating back to 1933 BS and a notice which appeared in the gazette in 2029 on maintaining a religious atmosphere in and around Janakpurdam.

In 2056 BS also, the court issued a similar order. Notwithstanding these orders, the excise office here still permits such businesses in the locality.

The chief of the excise office said that he was ignorant of the court orders and claimed that the office has not issued any licence to any party for running such business.

Mahila Tamang who has been running a hotel on the boundary of Janakpurdham, says it is a question of livelihood. We have to support our families through such business. All the shops in the periphery of Janakpurdham are able to operate because they grease palms, he says.

Intellectuals here have done their best to maintain a clean environment in the locality.

A big protest programme had been launched at the premises of the temple in 2051 BS and an array of decisions was taken to curb such businesses.

A local journalist recently lodged a complain at the district police office, Dhanusa demanding action against those involved in the illegal sale of meat and liquor and to press the concerned authorities to implement decisions adopted in this regard.

But instead of pondering over the matter, the office is showing a tendency of dilly-dallying.