Bars prepare to open doors beside the highway again

• Exemption for rural areas too; Population of 5,000 is the limit

Udupi: Wine stores and bars shall once again open their door beside the national and state highways going through rural areas. According to the Supreme Court’s recent order and as per the state government’s protocol, the license of those bars and wine stores that were functioning beside the highways prior to the Court’s order and had closed down in respect to the Court’s decision, can now renew their licenses and start their business once again.

5,000 is the limit

As per the latest rules, bars and wine stores are banned from functioning beside the highways that pass through rural areas with a population of less than five thousand people. Accordingly, since there are very few rural areas with a population of less than 5,000 people, most of the bars and wine stores are set to open up their business soon.

Fall from 20,000

The Supreme Court had ordered the closure of all bars and wine stores beside the highways stating that ‘Alcoholism’ was also a reason behind the accidents occurring on the highways. Accordingly a protocol was created which was first established in cities and then in rural areas. Later, exemption was provided to city limits.

An order had been passed for rural areas according to which, all wine stores and bars which were within 500 and 220 meters of the national and state highway passing through those gram panchayat limits with a population of more than 20,000 and those with a lesser population respectively had to be closed. Other than the population condition, there was no other new condition added to the modified law.

No decision on bars that relocated

Post the closure order of Supreme Court, those bars and wine stores which had stopped functioning beside the highways, can now renew their license and restart their business. In that backdrop, after the passage of the Court’s order, some of the bars and wine stores relocated themselves to a distance of more than 500/220 meters from the highways to carry on with their business. As of yet, no decision has been taken on if the relocated bars and wine stores can return back to their earlier locations and conduct their business.

DK 13, Udupi 18

As per the new protocol, 13 bars in Dakshina Kannada (DK) have the opportunity for renewal of which 6 have already applied. Earlier, altogether of the 15 bars/wine stores closed in the district, two lie in rural areas with a population of less than 5,000 people and hence will not get the permission for renewal, informed the excise DC, DK.

In Udupi, 18 licenses will be renewed. Submission of the certificate obtained from the tahsildar regarding the population is compulsory informed Udupi excise DC. There is information that there are 14 gram panchayats in Udupi taluk whose population is below 5,000. In the district, there are close to 50 such gram panchayats.

What’s in the order?

In the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s order and in terms of the 2011 population census, the government has decided to give exemption to alcohol establishment coming under the gram Panchayat limits with the population of over 5,000 people, said the order by the secretary under economy department (excise).

Article by Santhosh Bollettu translated to English by Aaron Dmello