Last few days have witnessed variety of bans in India. Uttar Pradesh government has banned illegal slaughterhouses and the honourable Supreme court of India banned all business entities selling alcohol located within the distance of 500 metres from notified state ways and highways. The banning authorities need to understand that they can't change consumption habits of people. They have just created a parallel system where consumption will happen like before but now in illegal mode.
The motive for liquor ban was to prevent people from drunk driving leading fatal road accidents. But will this ban result in the reduction of fatalities? Can't the deprived drivers get their quota from vends located at 501metres from highways? Accidents due to drunken driving happen in city limits as well, so why not put blanket ban on alcohol in India?
Instead of banning liquor vends why not our judiciary and our lawmakers become stricter towards drunken drivers. Ban will only change geographical distribution of liquor vends. It will in no way demotivate alcoholics to find their choice of drinks. It will only force them to stock their quota in their cars before they start for the journey. Increase in smuggling and trade of spurious alcohol will be seen alongside highways.
Only affected people will be the residents of small villages and towns located on highways as their only local wine shop is now closed and they will now need to travel to bigger cities for their requirements.
States are going to lose revenue and massive job losses are expected due to the ruling. In order to reduce the impact,Chandigarh has demoted highways to district roads through a notification bypassing supreme courts order making all liquor vends legal. Other states may bring their own notifications. Isn't it interesting that status of a road decide wether your business is legal or not. Now since they are notified district roads, fatalities won't happen! If this could be the case, cancel highway status of all highways and rename them as district roads.
The motive for liquor ban was to prevent people from drunk driving leading fatal road accidents. But will this ban result in the reduction of fatalities? Can't the deprived drivers get their quota from vends located at 501metres from highways? Accidents due to drunken driving happen in city limits as well, so why not put blanket ban on alcohol in India?
Instead of banning liquor vends why not our judiciary and our lawmakers become stricter towards drunken drivers. Ban will only change geographical distribution of liquor vends. It will in no way demotivate alcoholics to find their choice of drinks. It will only force them to stock their quota in their cars before they start for the journey. Increase in smuggling and trade of spurious alcohol will be seen alongside highways.
Only affected people will be the residents of small villages and towns located on highways as their only local wine shop is now closed and they will now need to travel to bigger cities for their requirements.
States are going to lose revenue and massive job losses are expected due to the ruling. In order to reduce the impact,Chandigarh has demoted highways to district roads through a notification bypassing supreme courts order making all liquor vends legal. Other states may bring their own notifications. Isn't it interesting that status of a road decide wether your business is legal or not. Now since they are notified district roads, fatalities won't happen! If this could be the case, cancel highway status of all highways and rename them as district roads.
Drivers caught tipsy are generally released after payment of petty fines. Banning them by cancelling their driving licenses will have greater impact . Otherwise 501 metres is just a minute away.
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