An order issued by Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma has set up a “core committee” chaired by the Commissioner of Excise to monitor the implementation of the order and submit a fortnightly report to the office of the Chief Secretary.
The committee has as its members the Principal Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, North and South Goa Collectors, North and South Goa Superintendents of Police, the Director of Municipal Administration the Director of Panchayats and the Director of Settlement and Land Records.
“The core committee shall break up responsibilities between their respective departments and ensure that adequate directions are issued and manpower is assigned to carry out the work at the taluka level,” the order from the Chief Secretary reads.
Besides this the committee will have to constitute taluka level teams to survey, identify, demarcate identifiable landmarks at the distance of 500 metres from the outer edge of the national or state highway in a bid to ensure the order is implemented in totality before April 01, 2017.
The Supreme Court of India had issued an order on December 12, 2016 directing states and union territories to forthwith desist from granting licences for the sale of liquor along national highways including those highways which fall within the limits of municipal bodies or local authorities.
The order also covers service roads along national or state highway or liquor outlets visible from the highway.
Existing licences can continue only up till April 01, 2017 and if they expire before that they are not to be renewed.
Further the Supreme Court has also disallowed signages and advertisements indicating the availability of liquor along national highways or the directly accessible from the highway.
