THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
Afraid that the Supreme Court's order to shut down bars and liquor shops within 500 metres of national and State highways would end the livelihood of several hundreds of people in the port town alone, efforts are on to seek the intervention of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for a solution.
According to sources, there are around 400 bars and liquor wholesale shops in the port town which fall within 500 metres of national and State highways.
“If the Supreme Court directives are implemented, then all of us will be out of business,” feared a liquor wholesale owner, J Rodrigues.
“I employ three persons and like me, other wholesale shops also have additional staff working for them. Besides us, the bars have waiters and cooks as well and if our business is closed down, we owners and our employees will be affected, while other businesses linked to our trade will also be hit,” said Rodrigues.
“Tourism is the backbone of the State and a large number of domestic tourists visit Goa on weekends on account of the cheaper alcohol. If the liquor business is stopped like mining, then whatever little economy is left in the State will also collapse.”
“Instead of penalising us, a strong mechanism should be created through the traffic police and those found drunk should be taken to task. Those involved in accidents due to drunken driving should have their licences suspended or cancelled, while also imposing a hefty fine,” Rodrigues added.
A bar owner, Suresh Naik, accused the government of failing to protect the interest of all stakeholders in the liquor business.
“It is a hidden agenda of BJP government at the Centre to close down all liquor-related businesses in India and the State government is dancing to their tune,” complained Naik.
Another bar owner, Rocky Pereira, feared that a shut down of liquor business along the national and state highways would encourage black marketeers of liquor and the sale of adulterated alcohol.
“Goa is a small state which is not even half the size of some districts in other states. In Goa, highways run in almost all cities and villages and if the bars and liquor businesses are closed down, revenue will take a huge hit as this sector is linked to other businesses,” said Pereira.
