Highway liquor ban: Maharashtra may see 2,000 km of roads denotified

At least three municipal corporations have passed resolutions seeking denotification of highways

If all the local bodies in Maharashtra opt to 'denotify' the parts of state highways passing through their limits, a total road length of 2000 km could lose the status of highway, it is estimated.

In the wake of Supreme Court order banning liquor sale within 500 meters of highways, at least three municipal corporations in Maharashtra passed resolutions seeking denotification of highways, so as to avoid the ban.

If all municipal corporations were to pass similar resolutions, not more than 2000 km of highway stretches would get denotified (i.E., lose their status as a highway), state PWD minister Chandrakant Patil said here today.

"After the decision of Supreme Court, if any municipal corporation or local governing body approaches the state for denotification of state highways, we will take appropriate action," said Patil.

"After the SC decision, three corporations (Jalgaon, Latur and Yavatmal) approached for denotification. The state government acted speedily and those stretches were denotified," he said.