Goa govt extends Surla alcohol ban for another month

The North Goa district has extended the prohibition on the sale and consumption of liquor at various places in retail or packed bottles in Surla, which falls under the Thane-Dongurli village panchayat of Sattari taluka in the state.

The ban has been extended for 30 more days from August 19 at all liquor bars, shops, pubs, clubs, provision stores or any establishment serving or selling alcoholic beverages in retail or packed bottles

The order has been issued under Section 29(A) of the Goa Excise Act and the Goa Excise Rules read with powers under sub-section (2) of Section I44 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, to limit the incessant menace and nuisance created by tourists till the situation returns to normalcy in the area.

"The situation in the village Surla has not normalised and still continues to be very fragile and vulnerable to the breach of peace. Hence the validity of period of the prohibitary order issued under Section 144 of CrPC stands further extended for prohibiting all liquor bars, shops, pubs, clubs, provision stores or any establishment serving or selling liquor or alcoholic beverages in retail or in packed bottles in the village of Surla, within the Dongurli, Thane village panchayat area of Sattari taluka for a further period of 30 days from August 19," the order reads.

This comes after at least 200 villagers had passed a resolution to revoke all eight no-objection certificates (NOC) granted to the liquor bars operating in the Surla village.