Centre denotifies 4 city stretches on NH-44, 65
The National Highway Authority has denotified four stretches on National Highways 44 and 65 in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, much to the relief of clubs, hotels, bars and liquor shops, which were banned by the Supreme Court from selling liquor if they were situated within 100 metres of state and national highways.
The Road Transport and Highways ministry has issued a gazette notification to this effect. The state government has handed these four stretches of road to the GHMC.
After the Supreme Court ban, the state excise department had issued notices to prominent star hotels, clubs, bars and liquor shops located in the core areas of the city within the stipulated distance, to close. But at the same time, the state government sent a proposal to the Union transport ministry to de-notify national highways within GHMC limits in order to save the various outlets from shutting down.
The National Highway Authority has de-notified four stretches on National Highways 44 and 65 in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, much to the relief of clubs, hotels, bars and liquor shops, which were banned by the Supreme Court from selling liquor if they were situated within 100 metres of state and national highways.
All roads in GHMC limits except national highways have been under the municipal corporation for a long time. Now the national highways too come under the GHMC.
On the NagpurHyderabad section of National Highway 44, the section from Bowenpally to the Assembly has been denotified and on the Hyderabad-Bangalore section, the road from Afgalganj to Aramgarh has been de-notified. On National Highway 65, the Pune-Hyderabad section, the road from Miyapur to Assembly has been de-notified and on the HyderabadVijayawada section, the stretch from Assembly to LB Nagar has been denotified.
Some 400 bars and wine shops as well as many hotels and clubs, such as the Marriott, Amruta Castle, Nizam Club and Boat Club, are now safe and can continue to do business.