MAPUSA: As many as 379 liquor outlets were shut down on Saturday by Excise officials as they began implementing the Supreme Court order in Bardez and Pernem talukas.
From Patradevi to Dhargal around 169 wines stores and bars were shut down by the Excise department and from Colvale to Mapusa around 210 both wine stores and Bars were shut down by the Excise department.
But even after this, some wine stores were open for the whole day. Some even kept the shutters half open and some opened their shops only in the evening. Most of the shops were closed only in the morning. After in the later half, wine stores and bars were kept open.
With this order of court to which every liquor seller is going to affect, there was one wine store owner who said that it is one of the good steps taken by the authority. Talking to Herald wine store owner Nilesh Salgaonkar said, “This is a good decision that the Supreme Court has come up with. Closing of the wine stores on highways will make a major change in Goa. This order will affect most of the families which completely depend on this business but on the other side, life of the youth will be saved who are addicted to alcohol.”
He added, “This business will be beneficial to Goa only if alcohol is restricted to tourist areas and not on highways.”
Another local Pandurang Shirodkar owner of Shirodkar Wines said, “We have kept our shops closed but this decision made by the Supreme Court is a harsh one. The court took the decision without thinking about the life of the people who are completely dependent on this business. Also the Goa government which had power to make some changes also failed to do so.”
