The Odisha High Court has upheld the State Government’s decision to evict liquor shops from the Government land and scrap the licence of the concerned owners.
A division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice AK Rath on Friday dismissed the petitions filed by Sasmita Tripathy, Tadit Kumar Rout and 82 others praying the court to quash the order.
The HC made it clear that it would not interfere with the policy decision of the State Government in this regard.It, however, allowed the petitioners file fresh petitions pertaining to the financial problems to be faced by them after cancellation of the liquor licences.
Notably, the State Excise Commissioner’ office had on August 21, 2013, issued notices to the liquor shops which constructed on Government land alongside the National Highway-5 between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. The licence holders filed petitions in the High Court against the Government decision.
The petitions had appraised the court that the Excise Department had identified the land where they have opened the outlet and, hence, encroached upon the said land.