18 Feb 2017  |   07:48pm IST

Govt bypassed Excise rules to grant licences within 100 mts of highways

Excise department had amended the Act to ban sale of licence within 100 mts of highways with a loophole that government could grant such licence; Hundreds of outlets were granted licences due to political pressure since 2012

Suraj Nandrekar

The Supreme Court ban on sale of liquor is said to hit the tourism industry and the businesses badly. However, investigations reveal, the State government could have minimised the impact of the ban had it followed its own rules.

Herald has accessed the papers which suggest that the State government’s Department of Finance (revenue and Control Division), sighting the case in Supreme Court, had issued a amendment to notification as early as 2015 and 2016 to ban sale of liquor on highways.

Around 8000 liquor outlets including hotels, bar and restaurants could face the brunt of the ban if it is implemented.

The amendment to notification, issued by Under Secretary Ajit Pawaskar, dated and no 02/10/2012-Fin (R&C)/PartII/663 clearly says no licences would be granted to liquor outlets on highways.

The amendment to the rule 90 - In rule 90 of the Goa Daman and Diu Excise Duty rules 1964, in sub-rule (4) said, “No licence shall be granted to an applicant for sale of liquor if the premises in which he proposes to open shop is located on a state Highway or a national highway.

It further says, “provided that a licence may be granted by the commissioner with prior approval of the government subject to such conditions as the commissioner may deem fit to impose in this regard - to open a liquor shop”.

The conditions set were “if such liquor shop is located beyond 100 meters from the centre of the State highway or the national highway and such liquor shop or hoarding are not visible from the highway or national highway.

Sources in the Excise department state that while the amendment notification came in 2015 and 2016, the department was strictly implementing the rule since 2012.

“However, many time the department was overruled by the government interventions and the licnences were finally granted due to political pressure,” say Excise officials adding “hundreds of licences were granted by the government bypassing the department”.

When contacted Excise Commissioner Menino D’Souza said that his department has been strictly implementing the rule and no licences were granted within 100 meters of highways.

“But the Supreme Court ban is for within 500 meters which we had never anticipated,” he said.

Asked whether the government pressurised department to grant licneces within the 100 meters, he denied the allegations.

“I don’t think so,” he said.