HUBBALLI: In the wake of
Supreme Court's order banning the sale of alcohol at shops situated 500m from the edge of
national and state highways
, the
excise department
has completed a survey of liquor outlets along the highways in
Dharwad
district. The survey found 251 liquor shops along the highways in Dharwad district and found 212 of them in the restricted vicinity. Most of them are retail liquor shops, and bar and restaurants.
After the apex court order, the district excise department formed teams of excise inspectors, sub-inspectors and deputy inspectors. They were dispatched to all taluks to conduct a survey of liquor shops and identify those situated within 500m of national and state highways. The survey was completed in a week and the report was submitted to the commissioner, state excise department.
Speaking to TOI, Ramesh Kyatannavar, deputy commissioner, district excise department, Dharwad, said that the SC has set a deadline of April 1 to shut all liquor shops within 500m distance of national and state highways. "We conducted a thorough survey in Kundagol, Kalhgatgi, Navalgund, Hubballi and Dharwad taluks where both the national and state highways passed through including Poona-Bengaluru National Highway, Hubballi-Vijayapura highways etc," he said.
Kyatannavar said that there are some star hotels along the highways passing through Hubballi and Dharwad. "As April 1 is the deadline, we will wait for the reply from the government on our report to take further action. If any liquor shop established within 500m of the highways did not close after the deadline, we will have to act tough against them," he said.
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