Highway liquor shop ban : Nearly 600 outlets in DK, Udupi will have to shut down by June 30

Highway liquor shop ban : Nearly 600 outlets in DK, Udupi will have to shut down by June 30

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 29,2017 :  Consequent upon the Supreme Court directive to close all wine and liquor shops within 220 meters and 500 meters radius of the  National Highways and State Highways respectively, the State government has ordered  all wine and liquor shops concerned to vacate by June 30.

The resultant effect of this would be that  as many as 600 wine shops will shut down  in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. With this the fate of thousands of employees of these shops is also hanging in balance.

The Excise Department has already stated that the affected shop keepers can shift  to a place which is 220 meters away from the highway in case of  gram panchayat limits and  500 meters in case of  city limits  provided there is no objection from local residents. Some shop owners have already decided to  relocate to some other area.

 As per information available, of the total 550 liquor shops in Dakshina Kannada district, 350 will have to be vacated or relocated while in Udupi district, of the total 390 liquor shops, 225 will have to be shifted or closed down.