Odisha’s Lariapalli Village Shuns Alcohol, Wins National Award

Bhubaneswar: Lariapalli, a small tribal village in Sambalpur district of Odisha which once had an addiction rate of 90%, on Tuesday received National Award for outstanding services in the field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse, 2018.

Over the last 3 years, people of this Gram Panchayat, who once consumed 2.4 quintal of alcohol per day, have turned teetotalers.

This could be achieved through various awareness programmes and behavioral training workshops organized and led by The Art of Living volunteers under the leadership of director, Art of Living, Social Causes, Bhola Nath with the support of Sarpanch of Lariapalli Shukri Kujur and Odisha government, that brought large-scale attitudinal shift in this particular village.

In a letter recommending this Gram Panchayat for the National Award, the Odisha government detailed the innovative approach that helped to make this area completely addiction-free and said the emphasis was on bringing behavioral changes through the means of yoga, pranayam and meditation with the help of The Art of Living’s Vyakti Vikas Kendra.

Nath also led 50 villagers, including the Sarpanch, through a transformative community empowerment workshop, Youth Leadership Training Programme.

There were six excise cases against sale of illicit country liquor in 2016-17, which came down to three in 2017-18 and nil so far this year.

With liquor shops being shut down, those running illicit liquor business have been brought under MGNREGS and engaged in developing water harvest structures, irrigation facilities and also horticulture plantation.