To counter SC order on liquor vends, Rajasthan to redefine some highways

Jaipur: The Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan is set to designate sections of highways passing through populated areas as urban roads if they are connected to a bypass.

The move seeks to counter the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways, said a report in NDTV.

The order will make stretches of highways immune to the Supreme Court order, said the report.

The order will apply on roads passing through limits of cities and towns, said the report.

 The Supreme Court on Friday upheld its December 2016 order banning liquor outlets within 500 metres of state and national highways.

Supreme Court said the ban extends not just to retail liquor outlets but also to bars, pubs and restaurants located on highways, according to reports. The court said there was no question of exempting these establishments, as this would be a dilution of its objective of preventing drunk driving.

However, it granted partial relief to state liquor associations in its revised. Hearing a batch of petitions seeking modification of its December 2016 order, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar said that in those areas where population was less than 20,000, the distance would be around 220 meters.

Several states, including Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana and Haryana and others had told the apex court that 500-metre distance is much higher and should be reduced.

Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi, also agreed with the associations and said that the 500-metre distance should be reduced. The apex court, however, observed that life is more important than liquor.