High Court turns down plea seeking denotification of highways

Bengaluru: Several liquor outlet owners who sought recourse from the Karnataka High Court to denotify a stretch of a national highway passing through Bengaluru and other towns were in for a dismay on Tuesday with the court turning down their petition seeking renewal of liquor licences.

Delivering the verdict, Justice Vineet Kothari cited the clear and binding restrictions [not to allow shops within 500 meters from the outer edge of the NHs or State highways or service roads along the highways] imposed by the Supreme Court for dismissing the petition.

Responding to the state governments appeal to denotify 147 isolated stretches of national highways of about 609.65 km passing through the city's central areas, the centre in its reply dated August 14, 2017 had contended that these stretched did not qualify for denotification based on their policy.With this the owners have no other option than to relocate to other areas.