Karnataka law varsity vows to rid villages of alcohol

The Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) has taken an initiative to free villages in the state from the clutches of alcohol. The Karnataka State Temperance Board is partnering with the KSLU in the endeavour.

Under the initiative, which will be implemented from October 2, the KSLU will adopt all the districts in the state. As the first step, the university will adopt Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts.

“In each district, we will cover 40 villages. Our objective is to completely rid the villages of the alcohol menace. This is a part of our clinical legal education programme,” said JS Patil, vice-chancellor, KSLU.

Under the project, a group of law students from the university will visit the villages and conduct a survey to identify the alcoholics. “We will classify the drinkers into two categories: one of addicts and another of occasional drinkers. We will be involving self-help groups in our drive,” Patil explained.

The students will counsel people in both categories and also train the self-help groups in continuing with the efforts. Alcoholics in need of medical help will be sent to nearby hospitals. “Our efforts will also include providing self-employment opportunities to the addicts who kick the bottle,” Patil said.