Supreme Court order leaves pubs along highways high and dry

New Delhi/Mumbai: Thousands of watering holes, iconic clubs and swanky pubs went high and dry as authorities went full steam to enforce a Supreme Court order banning liquor sale along highways while states gauged revenue losses.

In Delhi, 100 restaurants, liquor vends and bars, including those in five-star hotels, along the six national highways passing through the state stopped serving alcohol.

In Maharashtra, the liquor ban on highways has affected at least 1,000 hotels. Overall in Kerala, one of the highest liquor consuming states, 1,956 liquor bars and toddy shops have been affected. Kerala is looking at revenue losses as well as the tourism industry being affected.

In Chennai, over 35 star category hotels serving liquor in and around the city and around 250 elsewhere in Tamil Nadu were affected, it is estimated.

In Karnataka, the state’s Wine Merchants Association is considering meeting chief minister Siddaramaiah with a representation to denotify state highways. In Goa, some 30 per cent of liquor outlets have shut down following the Supreme Court order. CM Manohar Parrikar met traders to look at their issues on Saturday.