PANAJI
The president of Goa Liquor Traders Association, Dattaprasad Naik, has said that more than 500 liquor outlets in the State will get relief from the Supreme Court (SC) order, which had barred the sale of alcohol in the country within 500 meters from the outer edge of national and state highways.
Speaking at a press conference, Naik said, “Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has taken a good decision, as per which distance from the highway will be measured from the approachable road. Thanks to this, 500 plus liquor outlets will get relief in the State.”
He continued, “We make an appeal to the excise department to implement CM’s decision in this regard.”
As per Goa Excise Act, the distance from highway has to be measured as a crow flies. Due to this, the SC’s liquor order was applicable to many liquor shops, bars and restaurants, which were falling outside 500 meters from the highway if measured from approachable road, but within 500 meters if measured as a crow flies.
It appears that the State Excise Act will have to be amended now that the Chief Minister Parrikar has taken a decision to measure the distance from highway through the approachable road and not as the crow flies.
Naik further said, “We also make an appeal for the denotification of highways in municipal towns. If this happens, another 1,000 to 1,200 liquor outlets will get permission to re-start their business.”
In its December 2016 order, the SC had disallowed the sale of alcohol, whether through liquor shop, bar, restaurant or hotel, across India, within 500 meters of national and state highways. Due to that, around 3,200 liquor businesses in Goa were facing closure.
Subsequent to that, in March 2017, the SC had given a clarification as per which the limit of 500 meters from the outer edge of highways was reduced to 220 meters in case of areas comprised in local bodies having a population of up to 20,000. Thanks to this, around 1,000 liquor outlets in Goa could get their excise license renewed and carry on business.
But even then, a lot of liquor outlets in Goa in municipal towns are within 220 meters of highways. It is in this context that liquor traders are demanding that highways going through municipal towns be notified.
Meanwhile, the State government is yet to officially announce its decision with regards to method of measuring distance from highways
to implement the Supreme Court order.
