CANACONA, Feb. 24 -- Marle residents are agitated that their reputation, and that of their village, are being maligned due to liquor being smuggled across their border to Karnataka by people, who don't even live there but obtained excise licences to run bars.

But these bars do not operate. You cant even get a soda there. But the licence comes in "handy" for liquor transportation.

At a meeting of the villagers on Friday morning, it was pointed out that the Excise department has issued licences to four parties to operate bars in Marle.

"The licences have been obtained with the ulterior motive to procure stock for the said bar and then smuggle it to Karnataka," said Kusta Gaonkar a former panch of Poinguinim village.

"We are teetotallers...