Alcohol ban on highways will include bars and restraurants too says SC
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to relax the March 31 ban on closure of liquor vends along national and state highways. The Supreme Court said that the vends would have to move away 500 metres from the highway. The liquor shops should not be visible from the highways, the court also said.
The SC clarified that the order would apply to bars and pubs and restaurants as well. If the ban does not apply to these categories then the objective of preventing drunken driving is lost. The SC however said that there would be a relaxation for a municipal area of less than a population of 20,000. The limit in such areas has been reduced to 220 metres instead of 500 metres, the SC also observed.
The
SC
also
said
that
states
such
as
Telangana
and
Andhra
Pradesh
which
have
a
different
excise
year,
the
vends
can
continue
operations
till
the
licences
expire
on
September
30.
The
distance
rule
was
exempted
for
Sikkim
and
Meghalaya,
but
in
Himachal
Pradesh
the
220
metres
rule
would
follow,
the
SC
also
noted.
OneIndia News