The fact that this is a Supreme Court judgment has tied many hands and restricted many pens, but in a country which values its basic freedoms, some questions have to be asked as common sense questions, with absolute respect to the Apex court. But going beyond just one question which we will ask, we need to see if the Goa Excise Department, in its over zealousness, is being too harsh on ordinary Goans who will lose livelihoods. We need to ask, if this level of harshness is within the ambit of the Apex court order, or is it a result of over enthusiasm of Goa’s Excise Commissioner.
First the question: A driver behind the wheel of the car, can ask his wheels to take him anywhere for his drink. Where does this leave this exercise of removing all outlets within 500 meters? How does the logic that liquor bought or consumed along highways, to drunk driving hold? Anything on wheels can move to where the source of liquor is?
While we wait for a reply to this, we have to speak out against the harshness of the Excise Department which by its actions is harassing and troubling ordinary Goan, beyond what is required as per the Court order. It is using the far easier GPS technique to determine the distance of liquor outlets from highways. But in reality GPS takes an aerial ‘as the crow flies’ approach, but highway vehicles don’t fly. The court order specifically states “situated within a distance of 500 meters of the outer edge of the national or state highway or of a service lane”. It doesn’t ask for distance to be calculated based on GPS where it will surely show as less than the ground distance
In many cases the access from the highway to the liquor shop is more than 500 meters but because the GPS distance is less, it s earmarked for unfair closure. The Excise Dept is crossing limits of unfairness against liquor sellers.
