CANACONA, MARGAO, QUEPEM, VALPOI, SANGUEM & CURCHOREM: The liquor traders on condition of anonymity said that it is a big burden on liquor traders as this is their only source of income and livelihood and the Honourable Supreme Court should have taken a humanitarian view on this.
A trader from Canacona said, our Govt should have pleaded for more time, since the traders are holding huge stocks; liquidating it will be very difficult”.
Diogo D’Silva, a wine trader and President of Association of Businessmen of Canacona, however, said, “if anyone wants to drink he can go beyond 500 metres and drink and drive and argued on how will that be controlled.”
Gurudas Kamat, a bar and restaurant owner of Margao, said, “The guidelines which have been set for the proximity of bars from Highways and the entire line of compliance of the Executing Authorities is detrimental to the business and on tourism over all. Considering ariel distance as proximity measure is a death knell to the entire business” he said.
“My bar and restaurant is located on a hillock in Margao with limited access and exposure to Highway. Considering ariel distance I am in 500 metres from all the Highways of Margao and it is bizarre” said Kamat.
Harjit Dessai owns a pub in Quepem market which has been there for decades. “This is not relief. I have my establishment behind three buildings and it is very difficult to get access. Forget heavy vehicles, even light motor vehicles find it difficult to come to my pub. How on earth will my bar reduce the drunken driving on a major highway which is miles away from my pub?” asked Harjit.
“Valpoi is a small town but has almost 30,000 people. Today’s order of Supreme Court is not helpful for us. So we are not happy, says Tukaram Haldankar, a Valpoi alcohol manufacturer, bar and wholesale owner.
The liquor establishments, which come within the distance of 500 metres from the National and State Highways are not permitted renewal of their restaurant for the time being. However, the renewal applications filed by these establishments are temporarily kept on hold and will be decided in the next few days time, informed the Excise Department Officials attached to Excise Department Sanguem.
As the directions are still not clear whether to refuse or entertain the renewal applications from the retail liquor outlets that come within the 500 metre mark set by the Apex Court, are kept on hold and will be decided over the next few days. The department is reportedly waiting for further intimation as to what is to be done next in these cases.
From the survey conducted by the Department Officials, a total number of 128 bars and liquor outlets are within the area of 500 metres from the State and National Highways in the twin talukas of Sanguem and Darbandora which come under the jurisdiction of Sanguem Excise Department.
While Sanguem Taluka accounts for the closure of 67 bars, the neighbouring Darbandora taluka accounts for 61 bars. In the Sanguem town area itself which extends from Sanguem Court to Sanguem Khairikanttem there are 15 liquor outlets which are set to be affected due to the Supreme Court order.
Meanwhile with the delay caused by the Police Department in the issuance of Police Clearance Certificates for bar owners, the department has accepted the bar renewal application of those bar owners not affected by the Supreme Court order on the submission of fees payment receipt issued by the Police.
Reacting to the order of Supreme Court reducing distance from 500 metres to 220 metres in the town having less than 20,000 population, Quepem Taluka in-charge of liquor vendors Harshad Tendulkar said that now it all depend on the State government as how they interpret the order.
“Now the government should decide and sort out the problem at the earliest in favour of liquor traders to save and preserve Goa and Goemkarponn,” said Tendulkar.
It is pertinent to note here that unlike earlier years, the department from the current accounting year has urged the bar owners to produce the PCC issued by the concerned police station at the time of renewal of the bar licence.
