All liquor shops shifted found within 500 meters along the National Highways positively by April 1.

Bhubaneswar(ONT Bureau)4/3/17; Tightening up its belt to religiously implement the Supreme Court directive in the State, Odisha Government on Friday (March 3) issued strict directions to the Collectors of all the 30 districts to get all liquor shops shifted found within 500 meters along the National Highways (NHs) and State Highways (SHs) positively by April 1.
Briefing media Odisha Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said, “In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s order, all the Collectors have been directed to get all the liquor shops shifted found within 500 meters along the national highways and state highways. Around 1700 such shops have to shift their locations. The Collectors have been asked to issue notice to the shops to shift to their new locations. Today we discussed on how the shifting could be done in a disciplined manner.”
Notably, Supreme Court’s verdict has banned sale of liquor within 500 meter of the national highway by April 1.
A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur said last year that all liquor vendors holding licenses for selling liquor would continue to do so till their licenses were valid or till March 31, 2017, whichever was earlier. The licenses would not be renewed.
The order came on a batch of petitions, including those by the States and NGOs.