The Supreme Court had recently stated that its earlier ban order does not apply for the bars located in the City limits The State government is yet to submit a proposal to denotify the highways to save the bars However, the confusion over the delay in denotifying the highways has left the bar owners in lurch
The State government's desperate attempt to renew the licence of 720 bars in the Central Business District areas of the State capital may not see the light of the day, anytime soon. For, the state is yet to submit a proposal to denotify the national highway that pass through City. And, this would take at least two months' time to resolve as the Supreme Court will hear the matter only in September.
Following the Supreme Court's direction to shut down bars and liquor shops that are within 500 mts of the highway, earlier, as many as 3,650 bars in the state had been facing lock down since July 1, reports Kannada Prabha. However, the state government had decided to save these shops by denotifying the highway stretch that pass through the city. For, the income from the liquor outlets in the State capital alone accounts for the major share in the revenue. Excise department receives at least 90 per cent of the revenue from the liquor outlets in Bengaluru district
But since the Centre is yet to take up the state's proposal to seeking to denotify the stretch, everything has come to a standstill. Also, the State government cannot renew the licence of the liquor shops. For as per the Supreme Court order on July 4, the shops on highways whose licences were till June 30 cannot be renewed. This has further blocked the State government's way to allow the shops to open.
Not just 720 bars in Bengaluru but even 3,680 bars and liquor shops on the highways are still waiting to be denotified by the government. But the legal experts have suggested the chief minister to wait till the Centre takes a decision, for it may have to answer the Apex Court in future.
Although, the Supreme court in its recent order had stated that its ban order on liquor shops does not apply to those in the city limits, the confusion over the authority to denotify between the state and the Central government has left the liquor shop owners in lurch.
