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SC orders closure of liquor stores on national, state highways from Apr 1

by IBNS 14 Dec 2016, 09:57 pm

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the closure of all liquor stores on national and state highways, reports said.

The Apex Court has set Apr 1 as the deadline for the initiation of the directive.

The court has also ordered against the renewal of licence of all liquor shops stationed alongside highways.

The move has been made in order to curb drunk driving cases.

The Supreme Court acted on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO called 'Arrive Safe'.

The NGO in their PIL had stated that around 1.40 lakh people die annually in India owing to road accidents, most of which are caused by drunk driving.

The PIL also stated that the easy availability of liquor is the main cause of drunk driving.