Relief to pubs and bars in cities, Karnataka to denotify highways

In a big relief to guzzlers and bars and pubs on Central Business District (CBD), the Supreme Court has clarified that the ban on liquor on Highways does not apply to those in the city limits. In a major judgement, the Apex Court on Tuesday - while responding to a petition - stated that the state highways that pass through the cities can be denotified and the ban does not apply to them, reports television channels.

It may be recalled here that since July 1, the pubs and bars on the CBD limits had downed their shutters following the Supreme Court banning liquor on highways. There are as many as 340 waterholes on MG Road, Brigade Road, Queen's Road, Ambedkar Veedhi, JC Road, Cunningham Road, Race Course Road, Jayamahal Road and Ballari Road and other parts of the city that had to lock up their establishments with the Supreme Court ban.

The state government had earlier denotified state highways that ran up to 618 km to save 1,600 liqour outlets that dotted the stretch at a cabinet meeting. It may be recalled here that the State government had requested the Union Ministry of Road Transport to denotify 858 km stretch of National Highway that passes through the City Municipal Councils to save a total of 1,900 liquor outlets.

With the ban on liquor on highways, it was expected that the state would suffer Rs 4,000 crore. In fact, 90 per cent of the revenue (from the business) comes alone from liquor outlets in Bengaluru City and district, alone. In fact, in the last three years, from 40 to 90 per cent of the Excise tax is collected from Bengaluru city and district, alone. The July 1 ban order had left bar owners and those employed with it in lurch. However, the Supreme Court's Tuesday's order has come as a major relief to them.

• ban on bars on highway