Each liquor shop in the city, whether a five-star hotel, a restaurant or a liquor vendor is staring at closure from April 1, when the December judgment of the Supreme Court on the shutdown of liquor shops on all state highways and national highways takes effect.
On record, all the major roads in the city of Chandigarh are state highways and fall within the scope of the judgment.
The road categorisation was done around 20 years ago, so that the UT administration could maintain these roads, with the municipal corporation falling short of funds at the time.
As of today, apart from the one national highway that passes through the city, all major roads are state highways.
In December, the SC banned states and union territories from granting licenses for the sale of liquor within 500 meters along national and state highways. The Supreme Court had noted that drunk driving was one of the main reasons behind a large percentage of road accidents in the country.
Cities like Gurugram are staring at a situation where many hotels may not be able to sell liquor after April 1, due to the location of such properties. The city faces a far more complex issue due to its design.
“It was decided to declare all major roads as state highways so that their maintenance could be done by UT’s engineering department, instead of the MC,” an official said. Over time, the maintenance has been passed on to the Municipal Corporation, but the roads are still considered as state highways, officially.
Now, the UT administration has set up a four-member committee to suggest definite solutions, within a week, to avoid the unprecedented situation.
“In Chandigarh, Sectors are 1.2 km long and 0.8 km wide. With all vertical roads being State highways, 500 meters on either side of the road covers the whole of the city. Thus, all sectors come within 500 meters of state highways,” said home secretary Anurag Aggarwal, who is holding the charge of excise and taxation. “If nothing is done, the entire city will not have any liquor vendor or bar in any hotel or restaurant. All of them will have to close down,” he added.
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
Agarwal says at this moment he can’t say what the solution to this predicament is. “We hope that the committee brings a solution. We will take a call after that,” he said. The panel comprising UT chief engineer, MC chief engineer, chief architect and additional excise and taxation commissioner will give its report within a week.
PANIC AMONG HOTELIERS
The bar and restaurant owners are in a state of panic and are taking up the issue with different authorities. “We are staring at a crisis,” says Vipul Dua, owner of a prominent bar and restaurant here. “We are hoping that the administration is able to find out some solution. We are also awaiting February 28, the next date of hearing in the Supreme Court.”