Liquor ban along highways adds Rs 5,000 crore in losses for Adityanath govt

SC had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways

Latest news : The Uttar Pradesh government has incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore following the Supreme Court order banning all liquor shops along national as well as state highways.

Of the 8,591 highway liquor shops affected by the Supreme Court order, 2,000 are yet to be relocated while 3,000 shop owners have surrendered their liquor licences, said UP Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh.

"We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order," the minister told PTI.

The Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and prohibited all signages indicating the presence of liquor vends.

The Supreme Court again on March 31 reiterated its December 15, 2016 order to shut down, by April 1, establishments selling and serving liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, but relaxed the distance to 220 m for cities, towns and municipal areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

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