Team Herald
PANJIM: The Excise Commissionerate has expedited the exercise to bring about an amendment to the Action Plan so as to salvage the businesses of about 500-odd liquor outlets situated along highways.
The department is preparing a comprehensive plan to be submitted to the Goa government proposing the amendment, after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured liquor traders to re-measure the distance to liquor outlets by motorable access.
“We are in the process of submitting the proposal to the government to amend the Action Plan to re-measure the motorable distance from highways to bars and liquor retail outlets,” an excise official told Herald.
A Supreme Court order of December 2016 had forced the closure of 3210 outlets while a modified order of March 2017 gave relief to nearly 1000 outlets. The fresh move is expected to significantly reduce the impact of the SC ban on liquor outlets and bars along highways.
Last week, All Goa Liquor Traders Association President Dattaprasad Naik had said that as demanded by certain liquor traders the measurement between the points would be calculated through approachable road.
Though an order from the Chief Minister to re-measure the distance has been received, the official said, “To carry out the exercise an amendment is to be carried out for which we need government approval. We are sending the proposal at the earliest so that the drive can begin.”
