Goa excise dept issues notices to liquor outlets near highways

The Excise Department in Goa has started issuing show cause notices to bars, restaurants and liquor vendors situated within 500 metres of state and national highways.

The move comes following a recent Supreme Court order that has banned sale of liquor within 500 metres of the highways. Such outlets have to be closed down by March 31 and their license will not be renewed.

The revenue officials have compiled the data of such establishments in the state.

"We have started getting tentative list of the outlets from each taluka. Till date, all talukas except Mormugao and Ponda have around 1,900 outlets which are within the 500 m stipulation laid down by the Supreme Court," State Excise Commissioner Menino D Souza told PTI today after chairing the task force committee meeting in Panaji.

D Souza said after the inclusion of figures from comparatively larger Mormugao and Ponda taluka, the total number of such outlets will touch 2,500 mark.

The department has decided to issue showcause notices to all the outlets mapped as within 500 metres giving them the last chance to explain before listing them for non-renewal of their annual licence which will come up in March 31, 2017.

D Souza said that the notices would be issued taluka-wise though it is a mammoth exercise.