A total of 1,712 liquor shops are operating within 500-metre distance from National and State Highways in the State, and the Supreme Court order to shift such shops to distant places by March 31, 2017 is applicable to all of them.
Excise Minister Dr Damodar Rout informed this in the State Assembly in response to a question of BJD MlA Surjya Narayan Patro on Wednesday. The Minister there are no special provision for star hotels.
In response to a question of BJD MlA Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyaupatnaik , the Minister said the Excise Department has a total of 1533 posts in categories of Inspector, Sub-Inspector and Constable and, of them, 292 posts are lying vacant now. Twenty-eight out of 95 Inspector posts, 45 out of 240 Sub-Inspector Posts and 219 out of 1198 Constable posts are vacant. In Ganjam, one inspector, three Sub-Inspector and eight Constable posts are lying vacant.
Steps are being taken to fill up these posts, Rout said.