the goan I network
PANAJI
Reliable sources have informed that 20 liquor license-holders in Porvorim have already approached the excise department in order to get relief under the Supreme Court (SC) order.
In February, the apex court had given discretion to state governments to decide whether areas in local self-governing bodies and areas close enough to municipal pockets should be exempted from the court’s ban on the sale of alcohol within 500 meters of national and state highways.
The ban on sale of alcohol within 500 meters of highways doesn’t apply to municipal areas anyway. Now with February order, the SC has allowed state governments to decide whether areas in non-municipal areas like villages or areas sufficiently close to municipal areas could also be relieved of the ban.
It is in this context that 20 liquor license-holders from Porvorim have approached excise departments to get relief.
A source said, “Liquor license-holders from Porvorim made a representation to the excise department to get relief under the SC’s latest order. The excise department has sent all these 20 cases to the state government to decide.”
The source further confirmed that most of these 20 license-holders existed around National Highway (NH) 66 in Porvorim.
It’s understandable why license-holders from Porvorim have approached the excise department for getting relief under the SC order. This is because Porvorim was one of the worst affected areas when the SC announced its ban on the sale of alcohol within 500 meters of national and state highways in December 2016.
As a result of this order, alcohol licenses of several bars, restaurants and taverns in Porvorim couldn’t be renewed after March 31, 2017 because they were falling within 500 meters of NH-66.
However, Porvorim is not the only area, which can get benefit under the latest SC order of February. Parts of Goa, which are close to municipalities of Mapusa, Vasco, Ponda and Margao may also approach the excise department for relief because they are also close to municipal areas like Porvorim is.
