BENGALURU: THE confusion has finally ended. In huge relief to bar owners in Bengaluru, the Supreme Court has confirmed that the liquor ban around highways doesn’t apply within city limits. Though the order was delivered on July 11, there was clarity on the issue only on Wednesday after the order was published on the court website on Wednesday. Bar and restaurant owners are especially relieved as the state High Court had only a day earlier quashed their petitions seeking directions on denotification of national highways within city limits.
Ashok Sadhwani, a member of National Restaurants Association of India, termed the order “very good news”. He said, “From being a garden city to a pub city, Bengaluru had become a stone-age city. But now it’s time for celebrations.” He added that since the Supreme Court itself had given a clarification, he expected the order to be implemented soon. T Somu, Managing Director of Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association, said a large number of wine boutiques in the state could reopen if the ban was lifted. He hoped the SC would also give directions to the state in this regard. Govindraj Hegde, president of the Wine Merchants’ Association, said it was now up to the Central and State governments to act upon the court verdict.
What next
A senior advocate, representing the bar and restaurant owners in city, said had they got the order earlier, their petitions before state HC seeking directions to the excise department to renew licences would have succeeded. He said they will file a review petition if the excise department does not renew licences of bar owners.