Punjab Government has recently lifted the ban on restaurants, hotels and clubs that served liquor on the national highways and within 500mts of state. The Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh announced the formal removal of the prohibition at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha saying that no liquor shop would be allowed to be opened within the radius of 500mts of the national and state highways. Only the restaurants, hotels and clubs would be exempted from the interdiction and will be given permission to serve liquor.
Amending The Liquor Ban in Punjab
The state and national highways in Punjab and connecting it will not see any liquor retail shops on them at all as they will remain a subject to ban. The Punjab government has cleared all the uncertainties regarding the serving of liquor at restaurants, hotels and clubs along the highways and they will not be prohibited from supplying liquor to its customers anymore.
The recent amendment would probe the locations of all the liquor retail shops at the state and national highways and bring in a change in the section 26A of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914. CM Amarinder Singh received a formal approval from the council of ministers on the amendment bill in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha regarding the issue.
Highway Liquor Ban in Punjab
Last year on December 15 the liquor vendors all across India received a huge jolt upon receiving the Supreme Court’s order regarding the ban on selling liquor at the highways. This irated the liquor sellers all across the nation and they revolted against the government’s new decision. Not only the vendors but the state government also tried to work its way around the Supreme Court’s orders and ended up denotifying the state highways into state roads.
The new move of Indian Government came into effect from April 1 and since its initiation, many have lost their livelihoods in Punjab and other areas. The revenue collection of Punjab & many other states has seen a huge dip recently following the ban of selling liquor. Seeing an increase in the road accidents on the highways the government took the decision to ban the alcohol shops over the interstates completely.
Source: EconomicTimes
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