Orissa government has decided to legalise liquor sales in highway 'dhabas' (small eateries) and earn Rs.5 billion in revenue, amidst protest by women activists demanding a complete ban.

The state currently earns about Rs.3.07 billion from about 2,209 liquor shops, an official said Saturday.

"The government says even if it bans liquor sales in the dhabas on the apprehension of rise in highway crimes and accidents, that would not have much impact," he said.

Most of the dhabas are selling liquor illegally, the official said. "Some are selling spurious liquor and we cannot make them accountable. If we grant them license they will become accountable and we shall earn revenue," he said.

This fiscal the state government plans granting licenses to open about 2,000 shops, he said.

"The government has told the state excise department to increase its revenue to Rs.5 billion, and opening more liquor outlets is the option we have to achieve the target," said the official.

Prohibition is an emotive issue in many parts of Orissa. The demand for total prohibition in the state first surfaced in 1992 following the death of 300 people in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar after they consumed spurious liquor.

That eventually led to a ban on alcohol in 1994.

But the Congress party, which came to power in 1995, lifted the ban arguing it was causing huge revenue losses. Subsequent governments went even further, giving liquor sale licenses to women.

"This will make dhabas full of criminals," said Urmila Mohanta, a tribal woman and anti-liquor activist. "At least, earlier they were afraid of consuming liquor in public. Now they will have no such hesitation," she added.

"This will make women commuters on highways feel unsafe," she said.