Cheers! Liquor Shops in State have Time until Sept 30 to Close
Mangaluru: Owners of liquor shops in Karnataka, who were waiting with bated breath for the Supreme Court’s direction, heaved a sigh of relief after learning that they had time until September 30, 2017, to relocate if they received a notice from the authorities. Karnataka’s excise year is from July 1 to June 30.
The apex court, had on Friday, granted the relief to states in which the annual excise period extends beyond April 1, which was when the December 15 judgment would have come into force. For many liquor establishment owners it was kind of a temporary relief, otherwise, they had to close down today, on April Fools Day.
Suresh Shetty having a liquor shop on NH 75 speaking to team Mangalorean said, “Even though I am not happy with SC decision, but now at least we have few more months to run the business, and in the meantime have time to look for an alternate location. The Supreme Court order confirms our worst fears — we have to close and there will be no relief. Let’s wait and see what will be the progress in the next six months”.
Significantly, the Supreme Court clarified that the ban covers not just retail liquor outlets but also bars, pubs and restaurants, and that they have time until the end of the licence period, or Sep. 30, to relocate. Drunk driving is attributed as one of the leading causes of road accidents and deaths. According to ‘Road Accidents in India, 2015’ data of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,16,298 accidents were the result of intake of drugs/alcohol wherein 6,755 people lost their lives and 18,813 were injured.