Team Herald
PANJIM: Adv Amit Palekar, legal advisor to the affected liquor traders in the State is of the opinion that the Goa government should compile data on the number of deaths due to drunken driving on highways.
Speaking to Herald, Palekar said, “Any such case that comes to the hospital is registered as a medico-legal case (MLC) and I’m sure the data is available. It is only matter of tabulating this data and telling the Supreme Court that it is not the scenario in Goa.”
Stating that the number of deaths due to accidents and availability of liquor on highways may not be a ground to ban liquor in Goa, he said, “The highways crossing the State are just used as a transit route while travelling from Maharashtra to Karnataka on shorter routes.”
However, he said that the need is to enforce the existing laws in the State.
Appreciating the support extended by political parties in saving the livelihood of affected traders, Palekar said, “How it is to be done is for the government to decide. My only request to these parties is to go before the Chief Minister and try to bring an ordinance.”
or bring your legal expertise and express your support.”
Opining that denotifying is not easy, he said, “If that is challenged before the Supreme Court stating that the Goa government has done this only to deviate from the spirit of the judgment, then it could backfire. So it would require some time to have a thorough study.”
