According to the Supreme Court orders, the Telangana government is banning all the liquor shops, clubs, hotels and clubs within the 100 metres of National or State Highways.
But looks like, the excise department is even keen on banning liquor sale of many prominent hotels which are situated in the cities even though they aren’t close to the highways. Hotels like Hotel Marriott, Central Court and Secunderabad Club were issued notices not to serve liquor. The excise department is on a spree of issuing notices to these prominent hotels and is demanding a curb on the alcohol services. However, the hotels are now seeking for an exemption.
The managements of several hotels and bars are calling this decision as ‘irrational and illogical’ because they feel that the excise department is treating roads passing through the city core as highways.
‘How can the excise department treat roads passing through heavy traffic density areas like RP Road, SD Road, Abids, Nampally, Lakdikapul, Mehdipatnam, Afzalgunj, Malaket, Amberpet, Kharkhana, Bowenpally, Tarnaka etc., as highways?†asked D.Venkateshwara Rao, president, TS Wine Dealers’ Association.