Kerala may denotify city highways

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is likely to reconsider its earlier stand in the wake of the Supreme Court upholding the Chandigarh administration’s decision to denotify highways within cities to overcome the restriction on liquor outlets within 500 metre of highways.  Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran said that the government would decide  on the matter after examining the Supreme Court’s recent order. “We had earlier decided not to denotify the highways within cities  to keep the spirit of the SC order. We are yet to get a copy of the fresh SC order. After examining it, a decision will have to be taken at the level of the chief minister and the party,”  Mr Sudhakaran told DC.

Government sources said that already such a proposal  was pending with the taxes department. Hence,  the matter would depend on a policy decision of the government. Hotel owners are also likely to pressure the government to denotify highways. Kerala Bar Hotel Association leader D. Rajkumar had earlier told DC that about 400 to 500 hotels may be able to get beer and wine parlour licences or bar licences if highways within cities and municipalities were denotified. “Our demand is  already pending before the government and we hope it will take a favourable decision in view of the SC’s fresh directive,” said Mr Rajkumar.