SC’S highway liquor ban: State govt says it won’t apply to highways under local bodies

A day after the Supreme Court refused to relax its order banning liquor establishments within 500 metres of national and state highways and said the rule also applied to hotels and restaurants, a red-faced Maharashtra government that only last week announced it would allow the latter to operate, said it will strictly implement the court order from April 1.

The state, however, allowed for an exit option: the ban will not apply to those parts of highways that are being de-notified and handed over to local municipal bodies to maintain.

State excise minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the decision in the legislative Assembly.

“On June 9, 2001, the state had decided to allow municipal bodies to take over highways that pass through its limits for maintenance. To get this done, we de-notify that patch of the highway, which includes the bypass, ring road etc,” Bawankule said. The state will continue to de-notify highways if municipal bodies come up with proposals for their maintenance, as it was a policy decision taken long back, he said, but quickly clarified: “This doesn’t mean the government wants establishments to serve liquor.”

In December last year, taking note of the large number accidents on highways caused by drink driving, the SC had ordered a ban on all establishments within 500 metres of highways that served liquor. On Friday, the court said the order also applied to restaurants, hotels and bars, and not just liquor vends.