The Supreme Court has banned the sale of alcohol along national and state highways, ordering the cancellation of liquor licences issued to shops by April 1, 2017.
According to the apex court, no liquor stores should be even seen from highways and shouldn't be located within a distance of 500 metres of the highways.
The order is aimed at tackling the rising menace of drunk driving as well as improving road safety conditions in India.
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur has ordered both Centre and state governments to strictly comply with the order and "cease and desist" issuing liquor licences, Indian Express reported.
"Relocate existing stores and remove all advertisement of such stores," the Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Thakur, justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao, reportedly said.