Govt unlikely to challenge Supreme Court liquor ban

If case is weak, outgoing Prez Mukherjee will, in all likelihood, ask government to withdraw plea

The Centre is unlikely to appeal the Supreme Court (SC) order to close liquor shops located 500 metres from highways, since it feels there is no basis to make such a case. It has also taken a dim view of states denotifying stretches of roads as the state highways. 

According to top officers of the government, a careful reading of the SC judgment shows it has repeatedly upheld the Centre’s stated position. The Bench, headed by the former chief justice 

T N Thakur, had, in fact, midway through the case, given a chance to the Centre to come up with