Team Herald
PANJIM: Excise Department’s taluka-level teams will soon begin reassessing the distance of some liquor vends, including bars, from the nearest highways, following fresh pleas from some owners that they do not come within the ambit of the Supreme Court (SC) order.
“We will direct the taluka-level teams to re-measure the distance of the liquor outlets and bars from the highways of those owners who have written to us that their structures are not within 220 metres or 500 metres from the national and/or State highways,” a senior Excise official told Herald. The official clarified that these requests are exclusive of those applications that challenges “the calculation of the distance as the crow flies”.
Though the department was unable to provide the exact number of reassessment requests received, the official said that “several owners of outlets” have approached their respective excise stations. “The excise stations have received many applications. We can give the exact details only after a certain period. Currently our focus is to implement the SC order and ensure that those traders who do not fall under the ambit of the order do not face the axe,” he stated.
“We will write to our taluka-level teams to reassess the distance following reports from the excise stations, based on which licence will be renewed,” the official added.
Meanwhile, village panchayats will have to meet the deadline of May 26 to hold gram sabhas and finalise the report comprising of the total area, population and liquor vends located beyond 220 metres. “Only some panchayats have submitted their report to the respective excise stations,” the official said. The five-year term of the village panchayats ends on May 26.
