Opinion divided on ORR status
The Supreme Court had set March 31 as the deadline.
Hyderabad: With legal opinion on declaring the Outer Ring Road a bypass road and de-notifying state highways to protect liquor outlets divided, the TS government has asked Municipal and R&B departments to look into the issue.
Some advocates opined that declaration of ORR as bypass road and de-notifying state highways wouldn’t be that useful.
They advised the TS government to try to get the Supreme Court extend the deadline to shift liquor outlets located within 500 metres from state and National highways. The Supreme Court had set March 31 as the deadline.
The order has left TS looking for a way out to stop huge revenue losses since it had given bars and wine shops licences that expire by September-end.
Meanwhile, the governments of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, AP and Telangana states, and also wine shop dealers associations, have filed review petitions in the Supreme Court requesting extension of the deadline. Supreme Court will take up these petitions on March 20. Till then, the TS government will keep its fingers crossed.