Just in: The Supreme Court has banned the sale of liquor on state and national highways reducing from 500 to 220 metres the distance of liquor shops from the highways. This applicable only to areas with a population of up to 20,000.

Several state governments and private hotel owners sought the revisiting of its December 15, 2016, order banning the sale of liquor on national and state highways.

The top court, in its December 15 order, had banned the sale of liquor within 500 metres on either side of national and state highways across the country and also said that the licenses of all those currently selling liquor would not be renewed.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice L Nageswara Rao said that in the "interest of the public health" the liquor shops were ordered to be removed to a distance of 500 meters from either side of the highways.

The bench said that asking the state government to shift the liquor shops was not impinging on the excise policy of different states as it was only a matter of distance of the outlets from the highways.


On December 15, the court had allowed liquor shops in proximity to highways to operate till 31 March, but ruled against renewal of their licences. The courts decision came on a public interest litigation case seeking to curb road accidents on highways due to drunken driving.

Some states have sought to extend the deadline or decrease the distance to 100 meters for state highways while a few states have sought a recall of the order.