After April 1, all the big hotel owners are facing a major problem of unable to serve alcohol to guests at important locations. Hotels like Taj, Oberoi, Hyatt and Accor have to stop to do so as the Supreme Court has banned the liquor sale within 500 metres of highways. The Indian Hotel And Restaurant Association (AHAR) is claiming this orders as an unprecedented in an independent country and a critical time has come for the industry.
Now this verdict of supreme has affected almost 1600 restaurants and bars. As a result, there will be a huge loss of revenue and has compelled some civic bodies to denotify highways passing through city limits to bypass the ban.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of GCMMF Ltd – AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited), RS Sodhi has extended his support to all who who used to sell liquor on highways and will be highly affected due to this ban. Sodhi took to his official twitter handle and wrote post meant to give a business alternative to them. He asked them to replace liquor with milk in their business and earn revenue. He wrote,”We invite all these 16000 liquor shops/ bars to open @Amul milk bar for gainful employment and healthy nation building . R S Sodhi.”
@ratnabhushanET @EconomicTimes We invite all these 16000 liquor shops/ bars to open @Amul milk bar for gainful employment and healthy nation building . R S Sodhi
— R S Sodhi (@Rssamul) April 3, 2017
According to the verdict of the Supreme Court, liquor sellers located within 500 metres of a national or state highway are not allowed to sell alcohol. But the apex court has directed that the municipal bodies which have a population of 20,000 or less along the highways, the distance is 220 metres.
