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Panaji, Jun 26 (PTI) The Goa government has amended the state Excise Duty Act, 1964, doubling the licence fees for liquor shops located within a 100-metre radius of schools or places of worship, drawing the Opposition ire which alleged the move was aimed at allowing booze shops to operate near these places.
However, the state Excise Department denied the charge, saying the notification to this effect is being misinterpreted.
The notification issued on June 21 by Under Secretary (Finance) Pranab Bhat, states that an additional 100 per cent licence fee will be charged for licences issued under the relaxation of sub-rule (4) of rule 90 of the Goa Excise Duty Rules, 1964, as well as for the renewal of such licences.
A senior Excise Department official on Wednesday explained that rule (4) allows for the relaxation of restrictions on liquor shops within 100 metres of schools or places of worship, with permissions granted by the Excise Commissioner on a case-by-case basis.
As the opposition claimed the government was allowing the opening of liquor shops near religious places and schools, Excise Commissioner Ankita Mishra clarified that there is nothing new in the notification, except the hike in the licence fee for those shops that were allowed with the relaxation.
"The relaxation for allowing wine shops within 100 metres already exists. The notification is misinterpreted to portray that the Excise department has started allowing liquor shops within 100 metres of educational institutes or religious places. This is not true," Mishra said in a press conference.
On the contrary, obtaining licences for liquor shops within 100 metres of schools and religious places will become more difficult now as we have increased the licence fees by 100 per cent, she added.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, however, alleged that the BJP government was allowing liquor shops to operate near educational institutions and shrines by hiking the license fees.
"Bankrupt @BJP4Goa Government's @goacm @DrPramodPSawant allowing liquor shops within 100 meters of educational institutions & religious places by increasing licence fee will destroy future of youths. Government must adopt austerity measures & stop wasteful expenditure on events," Alemao stated on social media platform X.
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai accused the government of manipulating existing laws and demanded the withdrawal of the notification.
"MIGHT AS WELL CREATE OUTLETS IN SCHOOLS AND TEMPLES! It's ridiculous, and beyond belief @BJP4Goa @GovtofGoa would manipulate existing laws to allow this. There's a reason why such rules exist, and the Govt's decision is tantamount to corrupting places of worship as well as temples of learning that Goemkars hold sacred.
He alleged corruption is the driving force of this government, and immorality and lack of scruples are its basic principles.
"Withdraw this appalling nonsense immediately, and as I stated earlier, Govt of #Goa must act like it stands for #Goemkars and not liquor lobbies and mafia."
Aam Aadmi Party Goa unit president Amit Palekar also criticised the notification.
"Now start drinking courses in schools and colleges CM @DrPramodPSawant and @BJP4Goa. Youngsters will be exposed to this and can be prone to addiction. I'm sure the amended rules are to support some bigwig outsider.
"We @AAPGoa demand immediate rollback of this to save our future generations. We will explore the possibility of challenging the order before the High Court if the decision is not rolled back," Palekar stated on X.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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