Team Herald
PANJIM: After marathon meetings with legal experts, bar owners and liquor traders associations, and tourism stakeholders for over a week, the State government finally disclosed its action plan to salvage the alcohol business.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said they will approach the Supreme Court (SC) seeking clarification on its highway liquor ban order besides urging special consideration for Goa. The government is also open to denotifying certain State highways.
“We feel there has to be special dispensation for Goa but it depends on the SC. We are planning to approach the court in the next two-three month with proper documentation and the process has already begun,” he told the media after emerging from a meeting.
Whilst following its December 15, 2016 order around 3210 outlets, located within 500 metres of National and State highways would have faced the axe, but after its March 31, 2017 order offering relaxation for outlets in small towns located beyond 220 metres, around 1000 will be eligible to get their licence renewed.
“Following the SC order pronounced on March 31, around 1,000 outlets got respite from the total that feared closure. Now the issue is only with over 2000 outlets,” Parrikar said promising a special dispensation for the second category of liquor units.
In the fresh strategy worked out for the affected traders, he stated that outlets could be relocated to census towns like Mapusa, Margao, Ponda or places outside the restricted areas (500 mtrs or 220 mtrs as applicable).
Owners of the inoperative licence premises also have the option to transfer their licence. “Government will not charge any additional fee or impose penalty for such establishments that apply to shift their premises outside 500 metres or 220 metres. They will be permitted to shift to new premises, provided it fits into the criteria proposed by Excise Rules and Regulations,” Parrikar added, emphasising that the proposal, valid for a period of three years, is applicable to affected retail and bar traders only.
The government has opened yet another alternative for the impacted outlets to sell their licences to other individuals, provided the new licence holder operates from the premises situated outside the banned area.
Interpreting the SC order, Parrikar said wholesale licence holders, distributors and distilleries are not covered under this order as it mentions sale to consumers.
The CM also spoke of the government’s intention to review the notification on highways, as there are some which are yet to be denotified, despite parallel highways being constructed in the form of by-pass roads.
He went on to add that the concerned departments have been asked to study the files and give exact status about the highways in the State. “We are examining the National and State highways. I have asked the concerned departments to pull out the papers so that it can be examined,” he said.
The government has also not ruled out denotifying certain State highways in a bid to save many outlets that currently fall in the ambit of the SC order. Parrikar also stated that special zones like Naval Enclaves, Airport and other areas where common people do not have access will not be covered under this order.
