Ganapathi Bhat
Tourism industry in a state like Goa will be hit hard by the highway liquor ban because it is impossible to imagine Goa’s tourism flourishing without alcohol . Although the apex court seems to have grasped the problem well, its solution to the vexed issue looks far-fetched because it is almost like imposing a country-wide “prohibition”. In their understandable eagerness to prevent drunk driving on highways and save precious lives, the judges have clearly overshoot their intended target: accident due to drunk driving. A “resolute” drinker has no bounds; he can still drink in the vehicle or go visiting the town to buy his drinks. The court should have kept in mind the gullible social drinkers who stop-by at liquor vends by the side of the roads to get high. These drivers would have driven away with no liquor stores in sight. The court could have, therefore, desisted from imposing the 500-metre yardstick which has added to the woes of hotels and bars because many major highways run through the cities and towns.
Now, with a stupendous loss running to several thousand crores, the states would obviously look to circumvent the SC order through alternate legislations. Already, some states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have converted some highways to district roads to evade the court order and Goa should follow suit. Many others are also said to be contemplating denotifying some highways. Though these states stand to lose funds allotted to the highway maintenance, obviously the whopping loss incurred due to shut liquor shops is much more. States are also contemplating to ponder over the move to ensure that roads within cities are no longer highways. However, if the SC passes an adverse order on petitions against the denotification of highways, then the sates will have to scurry for cover.
The governments definitely cannot overlook the fact that their lax policies have allowed the judiciary to encroach the executive’s domain. Extremely ineffective highway police patrolling, allowing over speeding vehicles to go scot-free, abysmal fines and punitive action on drunk drivers, no eagle’s eyes on carefree proliferation of highway liquor shops have all led to the present imbroglio. How the governments unwrap themselves from the tangled mess they find themselves in has to be seen.
