‘What liquor ban? Beer on sale at traffic lights on highways’

CHANDIGARH: The Supreme Court order banning liquor shops and sale of alcohol within 500 metres of national and state highways across the country is again being flouted, according to road safety activist Harman Sidhu, whose PIL led to the highway liquor ban.

To circumvent the ban, liquor vendors have started stationing salespersons at traffic lights on the highways. As per rules, liquor can be sold only through authorized/licensed liquor shops/ outlets, but cannot be sold at traffic lights on the road.


The boy, carrying glasses for sale, was the one who sold the beer cans to Harman Sidhu at the traffic light

Liquor vendors near Sonipat on NH-44 (old NH-1) are openly supplying beer to commuters at traffic lights, said Sidhu, who purchased two beer cans on Monday from a traffic light vendor on the highway. The road safety activist was returning to Chandigarh from Delhi on Monday. “These vendors suddenly appear near traffic lights and go to every vehicle waiting for traffic lights to change and offer chilled beer for sale in the middle of the road,” he told TOI.

Sidhu said he even bought two cans of beer when he had to stop at a traffic light on the highway after crossing Sonipat towards Murthal.

Road safety activist Sidhu finds tractor-trolley vend near Ambala

Sidhu said, “It was around 1.30 pm, but I don’t know the exact name of the area. I noticed a boy selling beer to commuters. I purchased two beer cans on payment of Rs 360 and he even promised to provide me whiskey of any brand, if I parked my vehicle at roadside for some time. I clicked his photographs as well. He told me that several persons have been selling beer like water bottles on traffic lights since a long time and are making good money.”

When contacted, Nanha Ram Phullay, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (excise), Sonipat, said selling alcohol at traffic lights is certainly an illegal act and a serious issue, especially when cops are deployed at such areas. “I will personally visit such areas to find out and will take strict action, if such violations are found,” Phullay added.

Giving details more such violations, Sidhu said he had also found a tractor-trolley converted into a liquor vend parked closed to the National Higway-44 opposite Indian Oil depot near Ambala.

According to Sidhu, Haryana’s excise department has been denying violations he has highlighted through various applications in the Punjab and Haryana high court. He added that violation of the SC verdict is rampant in the state.

Sidhu asserted that recently Haryana's excise department had claimed before the high court that all liquor vends in Bhiwani and Jhajjar districts were issuing bills on purchase of liquor. “I had sent my representative to both the districts who purchased liquor and when he asked for the bill, the salespersons were not even aware of the provision of issuing bills on sale of liquor,” said Sidhu.