Team Herald

PANJIM: With just a week to go before the Supreme Court (SC) order banning sale of liquor along highways is enforced, liquor traders urged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to file a review petition in a bid to save their businesses. 

Making suggestions to protect their livelihood, a delegation of the Goa Liquor Traders Association proposed denotifying State highways and making them major district roads and sought that the distance of the liquor shops from the highways be measured by ‘accessible roads’. Traders, led by association president Dattaprasad Naik, met the CM at the Legislative Assembly complex on Friday. 

“The judgment does not specify that the distance of 500 meters be measured by radius or perpendicular line drawn from the edge of the highway. We request to measure the distance of the liquor shops by accessible road from the highway to the outlets. This will give relief to around 100 shops across Goa,” is one of the suggestions. 

With nearly 400 shops situated along State highways, the association pleaded that the government declare them as ‘major district roads’. “Converting the State highways to district roads will save several locals from losing their business. We request to kindly grant one year’s time to all the affected liquor shops to relocate their business premise, and also give relaxation of fee and transfer formalities,” the petition adds.

As per the SC order, all liquor shops located within 500 meters of the National and State highways are barred from continuing their business from April 1, 2017. A survey conducted by the Excise Department indicates that around 3127 retail and wholesale stores, and bars come under the ambit of the Apex Court’s order.

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