Taking strong exception to the Tamil Nadu government not implementing the court’s repeated orders to set up a committee to look into a WHO report on containing alcoholism, the Madras High Court has warned that it would form the panel itself if the State failed to do so by June 15.

“We grant a last opportunity to the authorities to constitute a committee by terms of reference. Otherwise, we will have little choice but to do it ourselves. The cut-off for doing so is fixed as June 15,” the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh said.

It passed interim orders on Tuesday on a PIL by the Advocates Forum for Social Justice seeking implementation of WHO’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014.

Alcohol policy

The PIL submitted that Tamil Nadu till date does not have a properly articulated policy on alcohol.

Pointing out the increase in the revenue figures of alcohol sale each year, the PIL contended that the increase in revenue from alcohol reflects its increase in sale.

“Liquor is sold without any concern towards the age of the people buying it,” the PIL said.

Noting that the situation in the state is indeed dire and desperate, as the problems associated with alcoholism are escalating to unknown proportions, the Forum said “unless affirmative action is taken, it will lead to further degradation of health and morals of society.”

“Recognising this fact, the WHO has framed policies for dealing with alcoholism,” the Forum said, adding that the WHO report shows that the problems associated with alcoholism come down significantly when certain important steps are taken by the government in the right direction.

Since the report is by experts, it demands attention and implementation by the State, the Forum prayed the court to direct the authorities concerned for constituting a committee to go through the WHO report and implement it.

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