24 Mar 2018 | 05:57am IST
Relief likely for SC ban hit liquor outlets
Ministerial panel formed to identify ‘urban’ areas along highways for grant of licences; First meeting next week; Report, recommendations in 30 days
PANJIM: In a bid to grant relief to liquor outlets/wholesale operators, whose excise licences were not renewed following the December 2016 Supreme Court order, the State Government on Friday constituted a three member Ministerial Committee to identify and declare areas contiguous with towns and municipalities as urban areas thereby granting protection to such outlets.
Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai and Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte are members of the committee. The Excise Commissioner has been directed to provide all assistance to the committee, which will hold its first meeting next week. The committee has to submit its report with recommendations within 30 days.
Speaking to Herald, Sardesai said that following the recent judgement of the Supreme Court, the government has been receiving several representations from retail liquor shop owners, restaurant operators and others, whose licences are not been renewed by Excise Department pursuant to the earlier Apex Court judgment in December 2016.
“However, the Supreme Court in its recent order last month has given State governments the discretion to decide on whether areas covered by local self governing bodies or areas adjacent to municipal areas should be exempted from its 2016 order banning sale of liquor within 500 metres of the highway,” he said.
On those lines, liquor operators are demanding that certain areas contiguous with towns and municipalities be declared as urban areas, thereby granting relief to affected licencees, the Minister said. “The committee has to work in that direction and submit its report,” he said.
Nearly 1330 liquor licences were not renewed by Excise Department following the Supreme Court’s December 2016 judgment.
When contacted, Khaunte said the first meeting of the committee will be held next week, wherein it will be decided how to go on. “We have to submit the report with proper recommendation within 30 days to the government,” he said.
Khaunte said the committee has to recommend parameters based on which the areas concerned would be declared as similar to municipal towns for the purpose of implementation of the Apex Court order. “We have to also set criteria for grant of licences for liquor sale in such areas,” he said.
The recommendations have to be submitted to the Finance Department.
