Punjab, Kerala move SC against liquor vend ban on highways

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

Punjab, Kerala and Telangana on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its December 2016 order banning liquor vends within 500 metres of state and national highways across the country from April 1.

As the deadline approaches, many other states and associations of hotels and restaurant owners have filed their pleas before the top court. But the SC has not been able to take up the matter due to non-availability of Justice DY Chandrachud who has been regularly sitting with Chief Justice JS Khehar.

Now the matter is likely to be heard on Wednesday as the CJI gave an assurance to this effect to Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.

“If Justice Chandrachud is not available tomorrow, then I will constitute a separate Bench,” the CJI said.

Rohatgi said the order for closure of liquor vends on highways will come into effect from April 1 and an urgent hearing was needed to address the issues raised by various states and private parties.

The Tamil Nadu Government had on March 23 moved the top court seeking extension of the deadline to enable relocation of retail liquor vends on highways till the expiry of their licence period on November 28.

Earlier, All Assam Indian Made Foreign Liquors Retailers’ Association had approached the top court for modification of the judgment, contending it virtually banned liquor shops in the state as the definition of state highways in the local statute included all roads.

The apex court, in its December 15, 2016 judgment, had ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and made it clear that licences of the existing shops would not be renewed after March 31.

It had also directed that all signage indicating the presence of liquor vends would be prohibited along national and state highways.

Kerala had sought the Attorney General’s advice on the issue. Rohatgi had told the Kerala Government that the top court’s order banning liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways applied only to liquor vends and not to restaurants and bars serving liquor.

As the March 31 deadline approaches, many state governments, restaurants and bars want clarification, modification or review of the order. One of the clarifications sought was if the order applied to restaurants and bars serving liquor to customers.