High Court chides Punjab for ignoring road safety

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

Taking a dig at the Punjab Government for considerations other than road safety, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today verbally asked it open a liquor vend in the state Secretariat.

The High Court satirically observed that a vend in the Secretariat would help the government generate revenue during lunch time. The developments took place as a petition filed in public interest on the issue by non-government organisation Arrivesafe came up for resumed hearing.

The High Court, on the previous date of hearing, was told that resolution of complaints, against liquor vends dotting the highways, was just a click away with the State of Punjab coming out with an email ID for sending complaints.

The court was also told that no less than 386 liquor vends along the national highways had been removed. Remaining 258 would be removed within a week.

The High Court had earlier also called for the status report on compliance of directions on removal of the liquor vends dotting the highways. Already, a contempt petition has been filed by Chandigarh-based NGO Arrive Safe Society through its president Harman Singh Sidhu.

The High Court on a previous date of hearing had also directed the states to explicitly mention that “liquor shops would not be set up along the national and state highways” in their next excise policies.