The Supreme Court indicated
on Wednesday that it would order shutting of all liquor vends on national and
state highways for the safety and security of commuters who get “distracted”
after seeing the shops, causing accidents.
A bench headed by Chief
Justice TS Thakur came down heavily on states for not heeding the Centre’s
advice to not give licences to the vends on the highways. Instead, the states
have increased the number of licences, the bench pointed out. The first
communiqué was released in 2007, since then the Centre has been sending notices
to the states.
“We would not like any vend
on national highways, state highways, advertisements, or signage about the
availability of liquor shops. We will direct all highway authorities to remove
all sign boards. It should be absolutely free from any distraction or attractions.
It should not be visible. Visibility is the first temptation,” Justice Thakur
said.
The court was hearing
petitions challenging various high court verdicts, which disapproved the sale
of liquor on highways. The courts have held that the shops be located at a
distance from where they are neither visible nor accessible to the commuters.
“You can start a door
delivery of liquor,” the bench told counsel for Jammu and Kashmir who argued if
the vends are away from the highway, people would have problems accessing them
due to the terrains.
Punjab government counsel
also faced the court’s ire for defending the liquor lobby’s interest. “You are
acting like a mouthpiece for the liquor lobby by defending the policy,” the
bench told the advocate who pleaded the ban should be made effective from April
1, 2017 to avoid a revenue loss of `1,000 crore to the exchequer.
