MARGAO
Taken off guard by the insistence of the bar owner Amancio Faleiro, a team of excise officials led by Salcete Excise inspector Shamba Naik were left with no option than to remain as mute spectators as the officials were not armed with the Supreme Court order.
As news spread in the commercial capital over the standoff between the bar owner and the excise team, beleaguered bar owners from the commercial capital, many of whom had kept open their establishments for want of any order from the Excise department, rushed to Aquem in support of their colleague.
Faleiro told the media that he is not defying the court order to close down the liquor establishments, but have only asked the excise officials to hand over to him an order directing to shut down the outlet.
“We respect the courts. I told the Excise team that the shutters of my bar will be pulled down no sooner I am served with an order along with a copy of the Supreme Court order. The Excise team cannot just come and order the establishment to be shut down based on media reports,” he said.
Faleiro closed down the establishment only at his normal closure timing at 3 pm. The Excise officials conveyed the decision to the higher ups, but were handicapped to use other means to ensure closure of Faleiro’s outlet for want of any order.
Excise Inspector Shamba Naik told the media that the team requested the bar owner to shut down the outlet since the department has not renewed his licence after the Supreme Court order. ‘Non renewal of the licence implies that the bar owner has no permission to run the outlet,” he argued.
Faleiro, on the other hand, argued that he has been running the bar and restaurant legally with all permissions, adding that the Excise ought to have given him an order in case his licence is not renewed and the reasons behind the decision. “Natural justice demands that I am served a notice or an order before I am told to shut down. I will comply with the court order in the event the excise serves me an order or a notice,” Faleiro asserted even as angry bar owners said the excise department cannot go around forcing the bar owners to shut shutters without any order.
