the goan I network
PANAJI
Liquor shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and every business, which will be impacted by the Supreme Court’s (SC) order banning sale of alcohol along national and state highways from April 1, have come together to float an association called ‘Goa Highway Affected Liquor Vendors Association’.
The representatives of these associations said that they would consider going to SC to get relief. The three key associations which came together are, Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association (president: Gaurish Dhond), Bardez Bar & Restaurant Owner Association (president: Michael Carrasco) and Goa Liquor Traders Association (president: Dattaprasad Naik).
Dattaprasad Naik said, “We will consider going to the SC. As of now, we can’t say when because we are in the process of confirming how many stakeholders will actually get affected by this order.”
This comes a day after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar opined business community approaching the court and the government co-operating directly or indirectly.
Meanwhile, Advocate general SD Lotlikar had also said that in his opinion the SC order was applicable to only liquor shops and not restaurants and bars, as they sell alcohol for consumption on-premises.
Going by this, it seems that there are grounds to challenge the SC order banning sale of liquor along national and state highways and within 500 meters from April 1.
Meanwhile, Gaurish Dhond said, “Whether a bar, a retailer or a wholesaler, we have all come together as this is about bread and butter of a lot of people. We have come together to show our force and to be on one common platform with one cause.”
