The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government not to reopen or relocate the closed Tasmac retail liquor shops along national or state highway for three months.

The government-run liquor shops were closed following a Supreme Court ban that took effect on April 1. Further, no liquor shop shouldbe located within 500 metres of the outer edge of national or state highway.

However, on April 21, the Commissioner of Municipal Administration department directed all Corporations and Municipalities to adopt resolutions to bring stretches of highways passing through their territory under the direct control of urban local bodies. This was to be adopted by today.

Municipal Administration’s move was considered to circumvent the Supreme Court’s March 31 order.

The High Court’s order was in response to separate petitions filed by DMK’s RS Bharathi and Advocates Forum for Social Justice president K Balu against the direction of Municipal Corporation. The first Bench of Madras High Court consisting of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, in its interim order, restrained the State government from either relocating or reopening closed liquor shops along national or state highways across the State for three months.

The first Bench sought an undertaking from Tamil Nadu’s Advocate General R Muthukumaraswamy that the Municipal Administration’s move to reclassify highways would not lead to Tasmac relocating or reopening liquor shops in these stretches.To this, Muthukumaraswamy said, he could not provide such an undertaking.

The first Bench posted the matter for further hearing on July 10.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW