Bhubaneswar: Acting on the orders of the Supreme Court, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi today announced that all liquor shops along the National and State Highways will be shifted within March 31.
Padhi instructed all District Collectors that if the 1712 liquor shops along the National and State Highways are not shifted within the given deadline, they will be permanently closed from April 1.
Briefing media persons, the Chief Secretary said, “From April 1, nearly 1700 liquor shops must be shifted 500 metres away from National and State Highways. Keeping in view of that we have instructed the Collectors to send notice to the liquor shop owners to shift their shop location.”
Notably, as per the directive of the Supreme Court, liquor shops will be shifted to beyond 500 metres from all National Highways and State Highways in Odisha.
Earlier on January, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Excise, Bishnupada Sethi had informed, “At present, there are over 3900 liquor shops along the National Highways and State Highways in Odisha of which more than 1700 have come up within the identified zones.”
He had said that there would be a loss of Excise revenue to the tune of Rs 1100 crore per annum if these liquor shops are shifted from the identified zones.