Representative image

AHMEDABAD: Getting caught drunk can set a person back in this village by Rs 20,000-25,000 as he is mandated to host a feast of mutton curry and bati (roasted wheat balls) for the entire village. This is over and above the Rs 2,000 fine charged on the spot!

In tribal Khatisitara village of Amirgadh taluka in Banaskantha district , the fine was introduced in 2013-14 when village elders realized that alcoholism had become a major nuisance. The village also recorded a rise in assaults and murders as aggression rose in men who had downed a couple of drinks.

"If anybody is caught drunk he is fined Rs 2,000. If a drunkard is found creating ruckus, the penalty Rs 5,000. Moreover, he has to feed the village of 750-800 people a feast of 'bokdu' or mutton curry with bati which costs upwards of Rs 20,000," says village sarpanch Khimji Dungaisa.

Only 1 caught drunk in 2018

"If a drunkard is found creating ruckus, the penalty is hiked to Rs 5,000. Moreover, he has to feed the entire village of 750-800 people a feast of ‘bokdu’ or mutton curry with bati which costs upwards of Rs 20,000. The penalty has led to a decline in number of drunkards creating ruckus in the open,” says village sarpanch Khimji Dungaisa.

Villagers say while average three to four persons were caught in initial years, only one person was caught drunk in 2018 while no case has been recorded so far in 2019.

“The last man caught creating ruckus after drinking was NanjiDungaisa, who has come from other village,” he said.

In neighbouring Upala village, people have nearly stopped buying drinks from neighbouring Rajasthan to host guests.

