BENGALURU: The state government plans to circumvent the Supreme Court order seeking closure of all liquor shops within 500 metres of highways by denotifying stretches of highways coming under the limits of urban civic bodies in the state.
The state cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to declare the chainage of state highways that pass through the limits of urban local bodies like City Corporations, City Municipal Corporations, Town Municipalities and Town Panchayats as Urban Roads and Local Authority roads.
As for national highways, the state cabinet has decided to send the proposal to Union government for denotification of stretches of those highways passing through the limits of the urban local bodies, sources said.
The cabinet decision is expected to provide new lease of life to thousands of stores and bars operating along the state and national highways in scores of cities and towns in the state and also offset the revenue loss the state government would suffer if these shops are shut.
The move is expected to bail out about 60 percent of the liquor shops that would have been forced to shut down.