Around 1,102 liquor shops situated on national and state highways within municipal limits in Rajasthan will remain open temporarily as per the Supreme Court’s recent decision. The Supreme Court granted an interim stay on the Rajasthan High Court’s order that had mandated the removal and relocation of these liquor shops.
The interim order was issued by a Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta during the hearing of special leave petitions filed by the state government and affected license holders. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Advocate General Shivamangal Sharma represented the state, arguing that previous Supreme Court judgments had already exempted liquor vends within municipal limits from the 500-meter restriction.
The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur had previously directed the state government to identify, remove, and relocate all liquor shops within a 500-meter radius of national and state highways, regardless of their location within municipal corporation areas or other governing bodies.
The High Court’s order, dated November 24, 2025, emphasized that municipal limit expansions should not compromise safety norms set by the Supreme Court. Despite concerns about a potential revenue loss of approximately Rs 2,100 crore to the state exchequer, the High Court prioritized public safety under Article 21 of the Constitution.
With the Supreme Court’s interim stay in effect, liquor shops along highways within municipal limits will continue operations until further directives are issued.
