NHAI to cut off access to illegal liquor vends on NH-44

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, July 31

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to cut off access to illegal liquor vends on the NH-44 from Panipat to Jalandhar.

The NHAI’s Ambala unit, had served notices on all 28 liquor vends. Project Director, Ambala, Jaswinder Singh said the NHAI had cut off their access a couple of times, but to no avail. “Now, we have decided to take the help of the local administrations. Drains may be constructed to cut off the access to the liquor shops,” he said.

Harman Singh Sandhu, president, Arrive Safe, said they had filed a petition in the High Court regarding liquor vends on the NHs. The HC had ordered that liquor vends could operate only after getting permission from the NHAI. Liquor vends came up all along the NHs from April 1 without taking permission from the NHAI, he said.

The NHAI had submitted in the court that the liquor vends had been asked to relocate within 7 days, he said. In Ambala, the owner of two liquor vends gave an affidavit in the HC on July 19 that he would remove the vends within 7 days, but the vends were still there. “We will approach the HC if the vends are not removed,” he added.