the goan I network
PANAJI
The three minister committee headed by Urban Development Minister Francisco D’Souza to recommend parameters for renewal of liquor licences along the highways has decided that all liquor licence holders that fall within the ambit of the Mopa Planning and Development Authority will be renewed as these areas can be considered to be ‘sufficiently developed.
“We have decided to include the Mopa International Airport planning area and neighbouring villages as sufficiently developed because now the government’s focus is to develop Mopa. And now that Mopa International Airport area is notified, the area and neighbouring villages are surely going to get developed. So that area is going to fall into the category of parameters for relaxation,” Vijai Sardesai who is a member of the committee said.
He said that the committee is also in the process of gathering more data supplied by the Land Survey Department which is based on the land revenue code as well as data from the town planning and urban development department.
As many as 45 licence holders could stand to benefit from this decision.
Sardesai said that the data from all three departments would give a complete picture over which areas come within the definition of “sufficiently developed” to be considered as a municipal area for the purpose of sale of liquor.
The Government of Goa had constituted a committee of three cabinet minister headed by Francisco Souza, Minister of Urban Development and Law, Vijai Sardesai and Rohan Khaunte as members to recommend parameters based on which the areas could be declared as similar to municipal town for implementing the recent judgement of the Supreme Court as well as the criteria for grant of licences for the retails sale of liquor in such areas.
The government has been receiving several representations from retail liquor shop owners, restaurateurs and others in whose cases the licence of retails sale of liquor has not been renewed pursuant to the judgement of the Supreme Court of India.
The representations are seeking to declare certain areas contiguous with towns and municipalities as “urban areas” for the purpose of implementing orders of the SC and granting relief to the affected licencees of retail sale of liquor.
