NESHWIN ALMEIDA
neshwin@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is making statements that he will approach the court only after two months and wants Madganvkars to be patient since the highway passes through the city.
But Madganvkars are not happy with the wait for two months. Dean D’souza, who runs a wine shop at Aquem despite not being affected by the ban whilst speaking to his friends, asserted, “Parrikar I believe is waiting for the bench to change but all that is uncertain. I feel the government should take action now and not after two months.”
While on a day when retailers got their licences renewed in wholesale wine shop, Hanzel Vaz of Vaz Enterprises which is along the 500 metres from a highway told Herald that this means that he cannot sell booze to people passing by and can only make sales to licensed bar owners.
But Hansel believes defiance and protest is not the way forward and serves no purpose in the long run while right now adhering to the Supreme Court ruling is the best way forward until there is an alternative.
But a few locals living in Margao pointed out how another Wine Wholesaler, who just acquired a converted licence, has started illegally selling booze to retail customers without a bar licence.
“I think we should accept our government’s delay. Parrikar could easily admit that he’s clueless of the way forward, but why take us for ride?” stated Allwyn Fernandes who lost his licence to sell alcohol at his local bar at Arlem.
While another Navelim resident recalls Parrikar’s ways of making 30-day promises that he never fulfilled and feels the CM has not learnt from his errors of fake promises.
“The number of bars, wine shops and restaurants along the highway selling and serving booze illegally, especially from Navelim to Cuncolim, is on the rise and locals driving home drunk is also increasing. The suspension and no clear vision from the chief minister on bars selling alcohol, will help these illegalities to thrive, feels Norman Pereira, another affected bar owner in Chinchinim.
