Mahe shops try to stay afloat

Mahe: In a move that Mahe MLA described as an attempt to sabotage the Supreme Court ban on liquor outlets on highways, Puducherry government has accepted the fee from 64 Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) outlets in Mahe to renew licenses.

The apex court's December 15 order says all liquor shops within 500 metres on national as well as state highways across the country need to be shut down by March 31 and the licenses of existing one not renewed.

In Mahe alone, 34 shops have to close down, causing substantial revenue losses to the government. The liquor outlets remitted Rs 6.6 crore as excise fee - Rs 22 lakh by a wholesaler and Rs 10 lakh by a retailer. March 23 is the last date.

The anti-liquor protesters in the Union territory allege the government move is to overcome the court ruling. “The state government is supporting the liquor outlet owners actively because of the revenue they bring. This decision would lead the stores to relocate to residential areas, and the government is bound to give permission for that,” reacted Mahe legislator V. Ramachandran.

The residents have also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister and regional administrator to take immediate action against the move to relocate the outlets to their areas.