Chandigarh: In line with the Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2017, the cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Punjab Excise Act to allow licensed liquor vends in the limits of municipal areas to sell liquor even if they are located within a distance of 500 meters from the national/state highways.

Section 26-A of Punjab Excise Act, 1914 will be suitably amended to ensure that the condition of sale of liquor through licensed vends at a distance of 500 meters away from National/State highways does not apply to the licensed liquor vends within the limits of Municipal Area.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, also gave a go-ahead to a proposal for amendment of Sections 72, 78 and 81 of Punjab Excise Act, 1914, to check smuggling of liquor in the state.

With this amendment, bringing of foreign liquor from other states into Punjab in a quantity exceeding 12 bottles of 750 milliliters capacity each will be a non-bailable offence. Also, vehicles carrying more than 3 cases of liquor shall be confiscated. During trial, the vehicle shall only be released against cash or bank guarantee equivalent to the value thereof, as per the proposed amendment.