Sameer Bhatt | NT
CURCHOREM: Out of the 499 bars and 10 wholesale liquor shops in Quepem taluka, 143 bars and a wholesale liquor shop face closure owing to the Supreme Court order on closure of bars within 500 metres of national and state highways.
Revealing this information, Excise inspector of Quepem Aleixo Andrade said that the order will be implemented and licences of bars and wholesaler liquor shops within 500 metres of the highways will not be renewed after March 31.
Anup Naik, owner of Loja Raghoba said, “Our bar is running from the time of Portuguese rule in Goa. It is the only source of income of our family. Many such bars are also running in Curchorem market. It will be unfair to close down the bars and the government should come out with a reasonable solution to the problem.”
One Devendra Vast who runs a bar on rent which is his only source of livelihood after the mining ban said, “I sold one out of two trucks at a cheap rate. If the bar is closed down, I do not know how I and my family will survive. The government should come out with an alternative and save us.”
Suhas Sanvordekar, owner of Santosh Bar said, “The government has to find out some solution to the problem. It is bound to implement the order of Supreme Court. But, it should give us alternate source of livelihood.”
Owner of a retail liquor shop in Curchorem informed that the entire Curchorem market will be affected if the bar licences are not renewed adding, “Bars near the state highways should be spared.”
Owner of Swiss Wine Store Domnic Silva said the bar owners will take a decision on future course of action at a meeting of All Goa Liquor Sellers Association slated to be held this week adding, “But the government should not force us to come on to the roads and should find an appropriate solution to the problem as Goa is a very small state and majority of bars will have to be closed down if the Supreme Court order is implemented. The order should be implemented only in case of bars near national highways.”