Mahe liquor outlets renew boozy' dreams

MAHE: As the Kerala High Court directed the Excise department to reconsider the demand of bar hotels situated along the Cherthala-Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur-Kuttipuram roads to continue operations as these roads were de-notified as highways prior to the Supreme Court order on liquor outlets along highways, the liquor traders in Mahe are also planning to revive their business along the stretch passing through the union territory. As many as 32 liquor outlets in Mahe town were closed on March 31 following the apex court order. However the anti-liquor activists in the Mahe have made it clear that any move to reopen the liquor outlets will be challenged in the Supreme Court.

Mayyazhikoottam –the NRI collective of Mahe residents which fought in the apex court for the ban, has already made it clear that they will approach the Supreme Court if the administration allows the liquor shops to reopen. “We will fight till the end to close down these liquor shops in Mahe. Someone cannot simply de-notify the national highway on a fine morning. There are enough evidences with us of collecting money for the National Highway related works. If de-notified as they claimed, they the authorities concerned are answerable for many questions including the use of road fund and also about the acquisition process,” said Jinos Basheer of Mayyazhikoottam.

Sadiq Manjakkal of Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi said that they will give wholehearted support to the efforts of Mayyazhikoottam. “However when you considering the entire Mahe enclave of Puducherry, the boozers from Mahe town have now moved to Palloor and other areas. So basically the drunkards’ menace has shifted from one place to another,” he added. It is learnt that Mahe Regional Administrator S. Manicka Deepan has conveyed the protesters that the issue of reopening of bars is bound by the Madras High Court decision as the union territory comes under the jurisdiction of Madras High Court and not its Kerala counterpart.