The Supreme Court has refused to modify its order on banning liquor shops off national highways. The apex court had on 15th of December directed to remove all liquor shops within 500 meters range near the national and state highways across the country.<br/><br/> The top court had also directed to remove liquor billboards appearing on highways. The ban will be effective from first of April this year.<br/><br/>The apex court yesterday heard petitions challenging the verdict of various high courts which held that liquor shops must be located at some distance from state highways so that they are neither visible nor accessible to commuters. The orders have to be implemented by chief secretaries and police chiefs in each state.<br/><br/>Supreme Court had passed the order after observing that accidents happened due to this existence of all these liquor shops near the roads.

The Supreme Court has refused to modify its order on banning liquor shops off national and state highways. <br/><br/>A bench, headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, yesterday declined to modify its earlier order to remove all the liquor shops within 500 meters range in all the national and state highways. The ban will be effective from April 1 this year.<br/><br/>The Supreme Court had passed the order after observing that accidents happened due to this existence of all these liquor shops near the roads. An Apex Court bench, headed by former Chief Justice TS Thakur, had in its order, said, all the licenses of liquor shops in and around a distance of 500 meters in the roads would be closed.