Panaji (Goa): Despite an offer that could save their liquor outlets from a permanent shut down, only about three liquor operators – amongst over a thousand affected due to Supreme Court order banning sale of liquor on highways – have sought shifting their premises to an alternate location. 

 

The State Commissionerate of Excise is in receipt of three applications from the owners of liquor premises requesting shifting their outlets to locations out of SC order purview. 

 

The department however does not consider it a poor response considering that Manohar Parrikar-led government has given a breather of three years.  

 

“The affected traders could be waiting for further relief from the court or probably review petition likely to be filed by Goa government. It is also possible that they are still mulling over the government’s proposal that gives the affected liquor traders three years time to either apply for shifting the premises from the banned areas to another site, or transfer the license,” a senior bureaucrat said.  

 

 As many as 3,210 units had come under the purview of the SC order’s on December 16, 2016 banning liquor sale within 500 mtrs of national and state highways. Out of the total, some establishments got relief as it fell in the modified order of the SC in March 2017 wherein liquor vends located beyond 220 in towns with 20,000 or less population were exempted from the ban. The total closure of bar and wine shops came down to 2,200.  

 

In what brought cheers to another 1,000-odd liquor shop owners, the government denotification State Highways passing through the municipal areas. 

 

With the re measurement of the distance underway, it is expected that more traders could find relief from the SC order. 

 

Team TNV