SC defers matter on highway liquor ban

The Supreme Court has said that it would hear after vacations a matter challenging the decision to denotify highways to overcome the liquor ban. The petitioner challenged a decision which denotified state highways in Punjab to beat the liquor ban. A petition filed by Arrive Safe Society challenged the decision of the Chandigarh administration to denotify state highways and rename them as major district road to overcome the Supreme Court's order which banned liquor shops and bars within metres of state and national highways.

The petitioners pointed out that the administrative order was to overcome the SC order. It is a colourable exercise of power, the petitioners stated.

Further it was pointed out that all six roads connecting Chandigarh to other towns were state highways. However now they have been declared as major roads only to overcome the ban. The petitioners sought that the notification be quashed and as an interim measure be stayed.

OneIndia News