PANAJI
For the second time in three years, the government has declared that persons with criminal record will not be issued licenses for liquor shops in Goa henceforth.
The change, which was notified in a gazette notification, has been incorporated into the rules of Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964 through an amendment which was notified earlier in the week.
In exercise of the powers conferred by the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964, the State government has added the Goa Excise Duty (Amendment) Rules, 2020 so as to further amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Excise Duty Rules, 1964.
“No licence shall be granted to the applicant who is having any criminal record or criminal case registered against him under any law for the time being in force. In case any licensee is convicted for any criminal case against him under any law for the time being in force after grant of licence, then such licensee shall forthwith intimate the Commissioner about such conviction and get the licence transferred in the name of some other person within a period of three months from the date of his conviction, failing which, his licence shall be cancelled,” states the notification.
In addition to this, the amendment also lays down that no licence shall be granted to an applicant if the premises in which he proposes to open a liquor shop is situated within 100 metres distance from educational institutions or places of worship. Also, licenses for wholesale as well as retail sale shall not be granted in the same premises.
Previously, in March 2017, the Excise Department had issued a circular citing a similar amendment to Goa Excise Duty Rules 1964 stating that licenses held by persons with criminal records will not be renewed from April 2017 onwards.
