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Rajasthan Highway Liquor Shops Get SC Reprieve, Stay Open For Now

The Supreme Court has granted an interim stay on a Rajasthan High Court order that directed the removal of liquor shops within 500 meters of national and state highways. The High Court had ruled that public safety concerns outweighed the state's potential revenue loss of nearly Rs 2,100 crore. The state government argued the Supreme Court's earlier judgments provided relief for shops located within municipal limits. With the stay now in place, over 1,100 affected shops can continue operating until further orders.

Key Points: SC Stays Rajasthan HC Order on Highway Liquor Shops

  • SC stays HC order to close shops
  • 1,102 highway liquor shops affected
  • Potential Rs 2,100 crore revenue loss
  • Debate over safety vs. revenue
  • Shops within municipal limits get relief
2 min read

Rajasthan: Highway liquor shops to stay open as SC grants interim relief

Supreme Court grants interim relief, allowing 1,102 liquor shops on Rajasthan highways within municipal limits to remain open, averting Rs 2,100 crore revenue loss.

"public safety under Article 21 of the Constitution outweighed financial considerations - Rajasthan High Court"

Jaipur, Jan 19

Around 1,102 liquor shops located on national and state highways passing through municipal limits in Rajasthan will not be closed for now after the Supreme Court on Monday granted an interim stay on the Rajasthan High Court's order directing their removal and relocation.

A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while hearing special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by the state government and affected licence holders.

Appearing for the state, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Advocate General Shivamangal Sharma submitted that the Supreme Court, through a series of earlier judgments, had already granted relief from the 500-metre restriction on liquor vends located within municipal limits.

They argued that the High Court could not ignore or override the law laid down by the Supreme Court while issuing its directions.

The principal Bench of the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur, in its order dated November 24, 2025, had directed the state government to identify, remove and relocate all liquor shops situated within a 500-metre radius of national and state highways, irrespective of whether they fall within municipal corporation areas, local self-governing bodies, or statutory development authorities.

The High Court had further observed that the expansion of municipal limits could not be used as a ground to dilute the safety norms prescribed by the Supreme Court.

The implementation of the High Court's order was estimated to cause a revenue loss of nearly Rs 2,100 crore to the state exchequer.

However, the High Court had maintained that public safety under Article 21 of the Constitution outweighed financial considerations, citing road accident statistics to justify its directions.

With the Supreme Court's interim stay now in place, the operation of liquor shops along highways within municipal limits will continue until further orders.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Public safety should be the top priority, full stop. The HC was right to cite Article 21. How many more accidents do we need to see? Just because a highway passes through a town doesn't make it safe to have liquor shops right there. 🚗💥
A
Aman W
It's a complex issue. I understand the safety concern, but relocating 1100+ shops is a massive logistical and economic nightmare overnight. The SC stay allows for a more reasoned, phased approach. Hope a balanced solution is found.
S
Sarah B
As someone who drives on NH-8 often, I have mixed feelings. Yes, the shops are a distraction, but the real issue is drunk driving enforcement. The police need to be stricter with checks, especially at night. The shop location is secondary.
V
Vikram M
The High Court order seemed very rigid. Cities have grown, highways pass through them now. You can't apply the same rule to a shop on a busy Jaipur road and one on a deserted highway in a rural area. Context matters. SC did the right thing.
K
Kriti O
With all due respect to the courts, this back-and-forth creates uncertainty for businesses and doesn't solve the core problem. We need a clear, nationwide policy on this, not state-by-state litigation. The government should frame proper guidelines.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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