Team Herald
PANJIM: About 1,200 liquor licence holders, who were among the 3,000-odd outlets that had downed shutters after the Supreme Court order banning the sale of liquor along highways, heaved a sigh of relief after the Excise Department issued an order to renew the licences of retailers within municipal jurisdictions.
The department said that the SC amended its order allowing renewal of licenses for liquor outlets in municipal jurisdictions. “The Commissioner (Excise) shall proceed to renew the licences of the retail sale of liquor to the licensees located within municipal area comprising the Municipal Councils of Valpoi, Sanquelim, Bicholim, Mapusa, Ponda, Curcorem-Cacora, Sanguem, Margao, Mormugao, Cuncolim and Canacona and the City Corporation of Panjim which were earlier not renewed on or after March 31, 2017 on account of the directions of the SC in the judgment dated December 15, 2016 and orders dated December 31, 2017, provided other conditions of grant/renewal of licence are fully met,” reads an order by Excise Commissioner Amit Satija quoting the report by the committee headed by Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma and subsequent approval by government. With this, the process of renewal of licences will begin on Tuesday, an excise official said.
With the present relief, those in charge of excise stations have been directed to proceed with the renewal of licences of the retail liquor shops in their respective jurisdictions covered under municipal areas, subject to compliance with the Goa Excise Act and Rules 1964.
All Goa Liquor Traders Association president Dattaprasad Naik has welcomed the order claiming it has saved the livelihood of hundreds of families dependent on the business. With some more still falling under the SC ambit, Naik claimed that re-measurement through approachable roads would save 200-300 outlets in the coming day while for the remaining, the State government is expected to file a review petition seeking exemption.
In April, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had assured that the State would file a review petition in the SC, however, there has been no move as on date. In a recent interaction with the media, he had claimed they were studying various laws and steps initiated by neighbouring states before filing the review petition.
