Shillong, Oct 7: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has approached the Commissioner of Excise seeking clarification on the operation of wine shops along National Highways.
This move comes after a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by the pressure group’s general secretary Wanbun N Dkhar revealed that these shops are functioning without approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
A 2016 Supreme Court ruling explicitly banned liquor sales along National Highways to curb drink driving. When the ruling was made it caused consternation in Meghalaya as many roads running through towns such as Shillong were actually National Highways and this forced many bars and wine shops to shut (the ruling was later clarified not to applly to bars). The standard ban was set at 500 metres from the highway’s outer edge, which was reduced to 220m in municipal areas with populations of 20,000 or fewer.
The judgement also prohibited any advertisements, signs, or boards for liquor shops from being visible from the highways. This had the effect of wine shops erecting full length screens to shield the alcohol from view of the highway and for every shop to now bear the ubiquitous moniker of “SHOP OPEN” – it is an open secret that these are liquor shops but without it being spelt out, which keeps them within the law.
“The recent surge in drunk driving incidents claiming innocent lives underscores the need for tougher laws against illegal wine shops. Effective regulations can create a safer environment and prevent further tragedies,” HITO stated today, adding a call for the Excise Department to ensure that its rules and regulations are up to date with the Supreme Court directive.
