PANJIM: In a first step towards implementation of the Supreme Court
order, the State excise department constituted taluka-level teams on Wednesday
begun the exercise to map the liquor outlets including the bar and restaurants
situated within 500 meters of the National and State Highways. The report would be submitted latest by
February 20.
The Excise department is going ahead with the survey of the
bar and restaurants comes even as the Advocate General Saresh Lotlikar in his
opinion to Government has said that bar and restaurants which serve liquor for
consumption within the premise would not come under the ambit of the Apex Court
verdict.
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Each team comprises of officials from the Office of
Mamlatdar, Excise, Public Works Department, and National Highway Authority of
India, Directorate of Panchayats/Directorate of Municipal Administration, and
Directorate of Settlements and Land Records among other related agencies. The
teams are functioning at various locations on the ground and carry out site
inspections to ascertain the distance.
Excise Commissioner Menino D’Souza said that the teams have
begun its exercise and the report would be submitted latest by February 20 to
ensure quick implementation of the Supreme Court order. “Once the report is submitted, the same would
be placed before the Government for final decision, based on which the show
cause notices would be issued,” he said.
“We have not received any communication from the Government
based on AG’s opinion. Hence, we are going ahead with survey of bars and
restaurants. The final decision would be taken by the government,” D’Souza
said.
As per the excise department there are nearly 11,000 liquor
outlets operational in the State, of which 2,500-3,000 would be affected with
the Supreme Court order. As per the
information, the National and State Highway passes through 150 villages in the
State, all which would be now mapped for identifying the liquor outlets within
500 meters.
Meanwhile, the Advocate General had informed Government that
the order would apply only to sale of liquor to be consumed off premise.
The SC had made it clear that the order was necessary for
the safety and security of highway commuters who get tempted to down a few
drinks after seeing liquor shops. It had
also come down heavily on states for not paying heed to the Centre’s advice not
to give license to shops selling alcohol along the highways. However, Goa had
already stopped issuing new licenses to liquor outlets on the highways.
