Dry Gujarat becomes drier: 25% liquor shops in the state shut after SC order
The Gujarat government on Monday served notice to 13 shops in the state that fall under the limit specified by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court order banning the sale of liquor within 500m of national and state highways has made dry Gujarat drier.
Thirteen of 52 licensed liquor shops at luxury hotels from where tourists and visitors from other states could purchase alcohol have been closed.
Residents, who visited border states and Union Territories to raise a toast during holidays or weekends, will now have to travel farther.
An officer from the home department said, “The Gujarat government on Monday served notice to 13 shops in the state that fall under the limit specified by the Supreme Court.”
In 2013-2014, when the scale of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was enhanced while Narendra Modi was running for the top office, seven luxury hotels were given licence for liquor sale.
There were 29 liquor shops in the state till 2012. Their number rose to 52 in the last four years.
However, in 2016, the government made the prohibition policy stricter.
It fixed 10 years in jail for illegally ferrying and selling liquor and three years for getting into brawl or riots in drunken state.
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