Team Herald
PANJIM: As the March 31 deadline to implement the Supreme Court directions banning the sale of liquor along highways, draws closer, liquor retailers in the State are the biggest losers, but are keeping their hopes alive on seeking licences for bars and restaurants.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday saved bars, restaurants and wholesalers from the axe of the Apex Court’s orders. However, the future of the 789 retail outlets registered with the Goa Excise Department is sealed. They will have to shut down.
Nevertheless, with the exemption to bars and restaurants, retail outlets are now looking at the option of seeking a bar licence.
Speaking to ‘Herald’, Goa Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) President, Dattaprasad Naik said that getting new licences for operating bars is an option and many will want to seek this option to save their livelihood.
“If there is no relief then that is the option available and retailers will prefer to go for the option. But, even that decision cannot be taken as the Supreme Court could strike down the relaxation”, he added.
Naik said that the spirit of the Supreme Court directions is to stop the availability of alcohol within 500 meters of the highways to reduce drunken driving and resultant deaths.
He said, “But by allowing the bars and restaurants you will still be selling alcohol which is not the spirit of the court orders.”
Stating that all the retailers will not be able to switch over to bars and restaurants, he said, “Space will be constraint and not all can be converted into bars.”
Reiterating the demand made to the Chief Minister, he said, “If the distance to the alcohol outlet is measured as accessible road and not measured according to the radius, then about 200 shops will be saved.”
Meanwhile, it is clear that the government depended upon the advice of the Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi while exempting bars and restaurants from the liquor ban.
Rohatgi in his opinion to Kerala stated, “It is clear that the judgment and directions therein applies to liquor shops wherein liquor is sold as retail items. The judgment does not bring within its sweep restaurants and hotels who serve liquor within their premises. The idea is to ensure that there are no liquor vends/shops within close proximity of these roads as per the directions of the Court so that easy source of purchasing and consuming liquor is prohibited.”
