Hyderabad: The Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh governments have decided to appeal to the Supreme Court to extend the deadline for shifting bars and liquor shops located within 500 metres of national and state highways.
In December, an apex court order had banned liqour shops near the national and state highways from April 1 to end drunk driving, which was considered to be a major cause for road accidents. A team of TS excise officials has gone to Delhi to file a petition in the Supreme Court.
Two days ago, Andhra Pradesh excise commissioner M.K. Meena met TS excise department principal secretary G. Somesh Kumar to know the TS government’s stand and how it was proceeding.
Sources said Mr Kumar told him about the government’s intention to move the apex court. The AP government later decided to file a similar petition.
The licence period of bars and liquor shops ends by September in TS and June in AP. More than 1,000 bars and liquor shops have to be shifted in each state. The governments contend that they would lose revenue if the liquor outlets are shifted before the tenure ends.
Sources said both governments wanted to inform the Supreme Court that the national and state highways which are passing through some cities and towns have become local roads after the building of ring roads and bypasses. The governments are drawing up a list of such roads. However, a petition filed by liqour shop owners in January seeking a one year stay on the ban was rejected by the Supreme Court.
