For more than three months women from Sambhaji Nagar locality have been campaigning against a country liquor shop owned by one Kavita Modi. The residents demanded that the shop be shifted elsewhere as it was right next to a school and a temple.

On April 1, a delegation met Superintendent of State Excise P V Kohak over the issue and demanded that the country liquor shop be shifted elsewhere.

Kohak told the delegation that the shop could be closed if an application signed by 50 per cent women of the locality was submitted to him.

Ashok Mane, the local Shiv Sena corporator owns a permit room and was a member of the delegation which met Kohak. Some residents did not oppose otherpermit rooms but only wanted to shift this particular country shop as it was in a chawl where mostly labour class families resided.

Meanwhile, with pressure from residents, mainly womenfolk Mane on Saturday announced that he had decided to close down his permit room and beer bar.

Speaking to newsmen in his office at Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, Mane said he had decided to bow to the public demand. ``As the owner of a permit room, it would not have been fair to campaign against another country liquor shop. Hence I decided to close down my shop. This would enable me to actively participate in the agitation being led by women from Sambhaji Nagar locality. At the same time, the country liquor shop owned by Kavita Modi can now be closed,'' he said.