Bhubaneswar, Oct. 26 -- It is a scene that unfolds in broad daylight, from around 11 am every day. Groups of people gather at roadside betel shops and fast-food stalls, buy liquor from a nearby Foreign Liquor (FL) OFF shop and sit down to drink. By nightfall, some groups move to a nearby playground in front of the local crematorium.

This is the situation around the FL OFF shop in Barpali block of Odisha's Bargarh district, where the sight of people drinking at roadside establishments has raised concerns over public safety, law enforcement and the alleged flourishing illegal trade in Corex cough syrup.

On both sides of the road surrounding the liquor outlet, around 15 to 20 permanent betel and fast-food shops have become gathering points...