Porvorim (Goa): Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the state legislative assembly that his government intends to amend State Highways act denotifying all the roads in the cities as Highways.
The announcement by the chief minister is going to save thousands of liquor outlets which are currently shut due to Supreme court’s ban on them for being within 500 metres of the highway.
“We are introducing amendment to the State Highways Act, which will exempt cities from state highways. The State highways will not be applicable to small cities like Ponda, Curchorem, Sanguem, Bicholim, giving much needed relief to the liquor outlet operators,” Parrikar said speaking on the floor of the House.
“As per the amendment, he said, the highways will end at the start of the city and recommence it once the city boundary ends.
Parrikar said the State government is in process of initiating various steps so that the impact of SC judgment about liquor shops will affect minimum people.
He stated that the State government has already denotified the roads as Highways where the by-passes have been constructed.
The Chief Minister also said that the distance between liquor shop and the highway is measures as travel distance and not aerial one.
Team TNV