SC bans sale of liquor near all highways

The Supreme Court on Thursday banned the sale of liquor within 500 meters on either side of national and state highways across the country.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur said that all liquor vendors holding licenses for selling liquor would continue to do so till their licenses were valid or till March 31, 2017, whichever was earlier. The licenses would not be renewed.

The order came on a batch of petitions including those by the states and NGOs.