Team Herald
PANJIM: With only ten days remaining for the implementation of the Supreme Court directions to ban liquor outlets within 500 metres from the highways, Goa Government is in a fix as the livelihood as well as the revenue is at stake.
At a time when the State is under tremendous pressure of financial debts, the liquor ban is going to lead to an estimated annual loss of around Rs 150 crore. The Excise Department contributes around Rs 300 crore annually to the state exchequer.
While the Goa Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) is demanding that the highways be converted into main district roads (MDRs), the PWD has put the ball in the government’s court.
Sources in the PWD informed that the department has neither objected nor proposed the conversion of highways into MDRs.
The state highways are maintained by the state government, while, the national highways are maintained by the Ministry of Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping. An estimated Rs 100 crore is spent on the maintenance of the national highways, which the state government will have to bear if the highways are proposed to be converted into MDRs.
A senior PWD officer said, “It is for the state government to take a call and if it decides to convert them into MDRs then the due process will follow. A proposal will have to be made to the central ministry.”
Meanwhile, the GLTA is meeting Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday with a demand to amend the Goa Excise Duty Act and to convert the state highways into main district roads.
GLTA president Dattaprasad Naik said, “The Excise Act states that within 100 metres radius there should not be any temple, church, mosque or schools. The Supreme Court order states 500 metres but it does not mention radius. The Excise Department has calculated it as radius. Therefore, we want it to be approachable road and not radius. It is within the purview of the state government and the Chief Minister can do it if he wants.”
Pointing at the spirit of the order, he said that the purpose of the apex court order is to prevent road accidents and deaths due to drunken driving.
He said, “The second demand is to convert the state highways into main district roads. If that is done then the towns of Valpoi, Sanquelim, Bicholim, Tivim, Curchorem, Sanvordem and Ponda will survive.”
According to the GLTA, the liquor outlets which are registered with the association is around 700 and if the government brings the amendments then 50 percent of the outlets will be saved from the axe.
However, he said that the ambiguity over whether the bar and restaurants are included in the order still continues and the decision of the government will be considered.
