PANJIM: Following the implementation of the Supreme Court (SC) order banning the sale of liquor along highways, Excise Department is receiving applications for new liquor licences beyond 500 metres of National and State highways. The applications, an Excise official said, are currently in the process of scrutiny.
“Excise Inspectors at respective excise stations are receiving applications seeking new liquor licences at different locations. These will undergo a comprehensive process including site inspection before being granted a license,” the official said.
The department has clarified that the applications are not from any of the affected liquor traders. “These are fresh applicants,” he said.
Whether the affected retail and bar owners have applied for shifting of their premise outside the ambit of the SC order or transferring the licence is not yet known. The officer stated that such requests would be sent by an applicant to their concerned Excise Inspectors. “The data will be shared with the head office at a later stage,” he said.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar last week said that outlets which fall within the purview of the SC order could be relocated to census towns like Mapusa, Margao, Ponda or places outside the restricted areas of 500 mtrs or 220 mtrs as applicable. Owners of the inoperative license premises also have the option to transfer his/her license for which the government will not charge any additional fee or impose a penalty.
“They will be permitted to shift to new premises, provided it fits into the criteria proposed by Excise Rules and Regulations. The impacted outlet licenses can even be sold to other individuals, provided the new licence holder operates from the premises outside the banned area,” he had sais.
Meanwhile, the department has begun the process of renewing licenses of those outlets that fall beyond 220 metres in areas where the population is less than 20,000. “We have begun collecting the required information from panchayats and municipalities,” he said.
