JAMMU, Apr 12: Jammu and Kashmir government has shut 142 bars and wine shops along all highways in the state, complying with a Supreme Court directive which banned liquor vends within 500 metres of state and national highways.
"As many as 47 wine shops and 95 bars have been closed on the national highway in Jammu and Kashmir as per the directive of the SC," Excise Commissioner Javed Khan said .
The licence of these liquor bars in hotels and restaurants have been suspended and their owners asked to relocate their units 500 metres away from the highway, he said.
Excise department has identified a total of 142 bars and wine shops including 47 wine shops and 95 bars located on the national highway from Lakhanpur to Kupwara district of Kashmir valley.
Liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways were asked to be shut down from April 1 as per the Supreme Court directive, exempting hill states of Sikkim, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh and areas having a population up to 20,000.
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