The Centre is learnt to have told Karnataka that it would have to take a “uniform decision” – one that would apply to the entire country – with respect to its request for denotifying stretches of National Highways passing through cities in a bid to insulate them from the Supreme Court’s directive to shut down.
According to an official in the Chief Minster Siddaramaiah’s secretariat, the CM has spoken to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in this regard.
Mr. Gadkari pointed out to the Chief Minister that such requests have been put forward by various other states, too. Hence, his Ministry would have to take a uniform decision that could apply to the entire country.
Referring to this, the official said the State did not have any option but to wait for the Centre’s policy decision in this regard.
“Till the Centre pronounces its decision, the closure directive will apply to all the liquor shops that fall within a 500 m radius of the National Highways,” he said.
