SC notice on banning liquor shops along highways

 The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and states on a PIL asking its direction to remove liquor shops along state and national highways, citing the increasing number of road fatalities.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar sought responses from the governments. It maintained that no effective step has been taken to curb the menace despite recommendations by a panel headed by former apex court judge Justice K S Radhakrishnan for the “ban on the sale of alcohol on state and national highways”. The PIL, filed by E V Balakrishnan, urged the court to amend excise laws to ensure ban on such sales.