'No liquor shop licences without legislature’s nod'

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday clarified the government has made a rule that no licences for liquor shops will be given without taking the legislature into confidence.

- Siddharth Gadkari

His remarks came after Opposition leaders including Nationalist Congress Party (SP) member Jitendra Awhad slammed the government for issuing 328 new liquor shop licenses.

“We have made a rule that if licences for liquor shops in the state are to be granted, it should not be done without taking the legislature into confidence,” said Pawar while speaking in Pune.

In other states, the number of liquor shop licences is increasing, but Maharashtra follows rules and acts in this matter systematically, he said.

“If shops are to be relocated, we give permission as per the rules. There's a committee that makes such decisions. If women at some places raise objections, ‘we shut down the liquor shops,” said the deputy CM.