As the Supreme Court deadline on closing of liquor shops along the highways is fast approaching, the Karnataka Government has decided to denotify stretches of highways coming under the limits of urban civic bodies in the State. A Cabinet decision of the Government to denotify highways is to circumvent the Supreme Court order seeking closure of all liquor shops within 500 metres of highways.
The Karnataka Government expects to earn over Rs 16,000 crore through excise revenue this year.
According to sources, the decision of the Government is expected to provide new lease of life to thousands of liquor stores and bars operating along the State and National Highways in Karnataka. The people in the industry feel this move would bail out many liquor shops that would have been forced to shut down.
The State Cabinet approved a proposal to denotify highways that pass through the limits of urban local bodies like City Corporations, City Municipal Corporations, Town Municipalities and Town Panchayats as Urban Roads and local Authority roads. The Government has also decided to send the proposal to Union Government for denotification of stretches of those highways passing through the limits of urban local bodies.
Meanwhile, the major Opposition BJP staged a walkout demanding ban on sale of liquor. The BJP blamed Siddaramaiah Government for bowing to the liquor lobby and demanded ban on sale of liquor. However, Chief Minister justified and said “The Government would abide by Apex Court order to ban sales of liquor shops on highways.
The session witnessed a very interesting debate between the Opposition BJP and the ruling Congress led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on sale of liquor ban.
Raising the issue, Opposition leader KS Eshwarappa alleged that the Siddaramaiah Government was supporting the liquor lobby and hence not ordering closure of liquor shops in the City and Towns. Dismissing the allegation as baseless, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the State is following the Supreme Court direction to close down Bars within 500 meters of National Highway.
“Already necessary orders were issued in this connection to the officers concerned and the Government will not violate Apex Court direction,” he added.
Members of both treasury and Opposition indulged in wordy duel when Eshwarappa alleged that because of State Government’s failure to closure of liquor shops the families belonging to poor were suffering.
Siddaramaiah said that the State Government has denotified 220 mts of roads in cities and towns with population above 20,000 and 500 mts in the cities and towns where the population is above 20,000 for sale of liquor. “Since road works were taken up by corporation and town municipalities such action was taken up,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that his Government was neither in favour of drinking nor against it. Everybody knew that drinking is not good for health but it was not possible to stop people from drinking hence steps were taken and not to favour any lobby.
Stating that it is wrong notion that if total ban of liquor will lead to good life, he said that the ban sale of cheap liquor has made life of thousands of people miserable and still they were not rehabilitated. Moreover total ban on liquor in the State will throw lakhs of people to the street and hence the Government has decided to allow bars by denotification.
“If you are really interested in total ban on sale of liquor let it be implemented by BJP ruled States first,” he challenged. Not satisfied with the reply by the Chief Minister, BJP members led by Eshwarappa staged walkout.