HC orders closure of 110 TASMAC shops functioning in

Observing that the law was applicable to individuals as well as government establishments like TASMAC, the Madras High Court Friday ordered the immediate closure of 110 state-owned liquor shops across Tamil Nadu that were functioning from unauthorised buildings.

A division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad passed the order on a PIL by Nallaswamy seeking to close a Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) shop opened in an agricultural land in Erode district.

It also directed the authorities concerned to produce planning permission of 2,728 such shops located in village panchayats.

Noting that TASMAC opened shops in buildings, where there was no planning permission, solely for the purpose of revenue, the court said when an individual has to follow the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act,it cannot be breached or diluted by the company.

Law is applicable to both, it said.

The advocate general made a submission that TASMAC would collect the planning permission from the land owners of the building within three weeks' time.

To this, the bench said it was not inclined to accept the request.

Authorities could have very well ascertained from the Town and Country Planning authorities/local bodies, where the buildings are located and not necessarily from the building owners, the judges said.