PANJIM: Demanding that the State Government should file a review
petition challenging Supreme Court order to close down all liquor outlets
within 500 meters of National and State highways by March 31, the Goa Forward
Party (GFP) on Wednesday termed the order as ‘non constitutional’ and
‘dictatorship’ by the judiciary.
Addressing media persons, GFP President Prabhakar Timble
said that the order of the Supreme Court amounts to judicial governance, which
cannot be accepted. “Judiciary cannot interfere in the governance. Judicial
governance is not acceptable as it opens doors for judicial dictatorship,” he
said.
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Timble said that the Apex Court has acted beyond its ambit
and the same cannot be accepted. “This is nothing but judicial dictatorship,” he
commented.
Stating that the order passed by the Apex Court is not
within the ambit of any law but on the recommendations of the National Road
Safety Council, Timble said government should move a review petition as the
affected parties like Goa government was not heard when the order was passed.
“The Supreme Court being the apex judicial institution
should have heard the affected parties. No court can pass a sweeping judgment
without providing the right to be heard,” he said.
“Two-four judges sitting in Supreme Court cannot decide on
the governance as they are not accountable to the people. The Governance has to
be done by the Government or the legislators, who are accountable to their
people,” Timble, an educationist, said adding ‘duty of judiciary is to
administer the functioning of the legislations and constitution’.
The GFP leader said that the restrictions imposed by the
Court needs to be reasonable, fair and just- which has been upheld by the Court
in the past. He further pointed out that the data on which the Apex Court
claims to have relied upon to pass the crucial judgment is also very weak to
draw any correlation between the liquor establishments within 500 meters and
road accidents.
Timble said in a bid to respect Court order, licence of the
liquor outlets should be renewed for six months instead of one year, pending
the review petition.
