Odisha HC upholds eviction of liquor shops from govt land

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Apr 5:

The Odisha High Court has upheld the decision of the state government to evict liquor shops from the government land and scrap the license of the owner.

Delivering the jugdement to this effect, a division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice AK Rath on Friday dismissed the petitions filed by Sasmita Tripathy, Tadit Kumar Rout including 82 others praying the court to quash the order.

The court made it clear that it would not interfere with the policy decision of the state government in this regard.

The court, however, allowed the petitioners file fresh petitions pertaining to the financial problems to be faced by them after cancellation of the liquor license.

It may be mentioned that the office of the state Excise Commissioner had issued a notification on August 21, 2013 on eviction of liquor shops constructed on government land alongside the National Highway-5 between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
However, challenging the notice, the liquor licence holders later filed a writ in the High Court for cancellation of the notice.

Arguing that they have not encroached upon any government land, the petitioners had said the Excise department had identified the land where they have opened the outlet.

The petitioners had also challenged the validity of the notice of the Excise Commissioner on behalf of the state government.