Even though the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister has been asking the State Government to make the NH sides as liquor-free zones, there are as many as 704 liquor shops operating within 50-metre distance from NHs across the State.
BJP MlA Dilip Ray said State Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi supplied this information in response to a question put by him in the Assembly. “The Minister said the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry had in December 2011 requested the State to cancel the liquor shops operating on NH sides and to stop drunkard drivers from driving vehicles.
Accordingly, the Excise Department had issued orders twice to shift wine shops operating within 50 meter from NHs to distant places on January 18, 2014 and June 2, 2015. Despite this, there are 704 liquor shops operating within 50 metres from the NHs in the State,” Ray said.
The Minister in response to another question of Ray informed that a total of 9,648 road accidents had occurred in the State last year in which 3,931 people died. According to information, a total of 47,424 road accidents had occurred during the last five years in which 19,333 people died.