AURANGABAD: Amid speculations that the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation would denotify state and national highways passing through the city and give respite to the liquor sellers, the civic administration on Thursday said it does not favour such a proposal.Municipal commissioner Om Prakash Bakoria said, "Some sections of the society were insisting on denotifying four state highways and one national highway so that the liquor shops and bar operating on the roads could continue their business. But we do not think that it is feasible for the civic body."Bakoria said that the the civic body will have to shell out a huge fund for the maintenance of the four roads. It would take about Rs 20-25 crore per annum for the civic body to maintain the state highways passing through the city, he said.He added that the National Highways Authority of India would soon start construction of Beed bypass road involving over Rs 1,000 crore. "If we denotify the road and bring it under the purview of the civic body, we will have to spare funds for it. Under the given circumstances, it is not possible," he said.It is important to note that the office-bearers of the hotel and bar owners association recently met the municipal chief and asked him to denotify the roads considering the city was one of the major tourist spots in the country. There were speculations that the municipal administration would place a proposal with regard to denotification of roads before the general body meeting on Thursday.In the meanwhile, MIM corporators on Thursday said they are running a signature campaign to shut down all the liquor shops in the city. "Our party in not in favour of selling liquor as it is destroying many families. We also opposing liquor shops running on civic properties," said MIM corporator Naser Siddiqui.

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