Mangaluru: About 350 liquor outlets in undivided Dakshina Kannada district will be closed down on July 1 in accordance with the apex court ruling banning sale of liquor within 500 metres of national highways and 220 m of State highways.

The total number of licensed outlets across the twin districts stands at 835, of which Dakshina Kannada has 463 outlets and Udupi has 372. However with the Excise department not renewing the licenses of 350 outlets they will be closed from July 1 onwards.

Of the 463 liquor outlets in Dakshina Kannada, the State government has agreed to renew licences of 254. Similarly, of the 372 outlets in Udupi district, the government has allowed renewal of licences of 270 outlets.

The twin districts have a wide network of national highways and State highways, including National Highway 66 (Yedapalli-Panvel), National Highway 75 (Mangaluru-Bengaluru), National Highway 169 (Mangaluru-Solapur via Moodbidri, Karkala), National Highway 169A (Malpe-Tirthahalli via Udupi, Agumbe) and many more.

Around 52 liquor outlets in and around Mangaluru heaved a sigh of relief with the recent state cabinet decision to de-notify stretches of State highways passing through urban areas as urban roads. While a proposal to de-notify stretches of the national highway has been sent to the Centre, a decision on the same is yet awaited.

As per reports, chief minister Siddaramaiah has spoken twice to union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari and urged the latter to expedite the process of denotifying national highways which would save around 3,515 liquor outlets across the state.

However till a decision on the same is arrived, the liquor vends have no other option but to either relocate or close shop.