Published On : Thu, Mar 30th, 2017

Hearing on pleas against ban on liquor shops along highways begins in SC at 2.30 pm

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Supreme Court

Nagpur: Curiosity has gripped the nation as Supreme Court hears a batch of petitions seeking modification of its December 2016 order banning liquor vends within 500 metres of State and National Highways across the country. The hearing is slated to begin at 2.30 pm today (Thursday). A battery of eminent lawyers representing the stakeholders have sought modification of the order.

The hearing on the horde of petitions is being held before a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and S K Kaul.

The apex court had ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and made it clear that licences of the existing shops will not be renewed after March 31, 2017.

However, sources said the State Excise Department is going on renewing licenses of bars. Licenses of country liquor shops, beer shoppies and wine shops are not being renewed at present. The charges for renewal of license of are Rs 6 lakh per annum and for wine shops it is Rs 11 lakh within the limits of Nagpur city.

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