Shillong, Oct 7: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has approached the Commissioner of Excise seeking clarification on the operation of wine shops along National Highways.

This move comes after a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by the pressure group’s general secretary Wanbun N Dkhar revealed that these shops are functioning without approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

A 2016 Supreme Court ruling explicitly banned liquor sales along National Highways to curb drink driving. When the ruling was made it caused consternation in Meghalaya as many roads running through towns such as Shillong were actually National Highways and this forced many bars and wine shops to shut (the ruling

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