Indore: High Court issues notice to state government, excise commissioner

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to state government, excise commissioner and four other respondents on a PIL alleging that liquor shops are located on national and state highways in Madhya Pradesh despite clear order from the Supreme Court that the same should not be allowed.

A division bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Prakash Chandra Gupta issued the notices. The next date for hearing has been set for March 13.

Citing a ruling of the apex court into the matter of liquor shops in 2016, Aman Sharma had filed the petition in the High Court through his counsel Abhinav Dhanodkar.

The SC order reads, "No shop for the sale of liquor shall be (1) visible from a National or State Highway; (ii) directly accessible from a National or State Highway and (iii) situated within a distance of 500 metres of the outer edge of the National or State Highway or of a service lane along the highway. In the case of areas comprised in local bodies with a population of 20,000 people or less, the distance of 500 metres shall stand reduced to 220 metres".

Dhanodkar said that the state government had complied with this ruling in 2017 and years after that but the same was overlooked when the excise policy for year 2022-23.

In the last hearing, the state government had argued in the court that the petition is not maintainable and should be dismissed. But the court instead issued notices to the respondents on Tuesday.