Liquor shop closure: HC notice to govt

The Madras High Court today ordered notice to Tamil Nadu government, seeking its reply by August 13 on a petition by state-run TASMAC that the PIL filed by MDMK leader Vaiko's brother, seeking a direction to the Home Secretary and the Tirunelveli District Collector to close down a liquor shop at Kalingapatti, was 'politically motivated.'
TASMAC, through its counsel, submitted that the shop had been functioning for 12 years. "All of a sudden," MDMK leader Vaiko's brother V Ravichandran had come up with a PIL seeking to close the shop, it said.
Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) alleged that rowdy elements had entered the retail outlet recently and damaged the entire quantity of liquor.

It said drinking is a social evil and what is needed is counselling and consistent efforts to bring about self- restraint among people. None should dictate or pressurise the government to close the shop.
The Corporation submitted that there were villages where none consumed liquor and TASMAC shops could not be opened there. Only five per cent of the public had the drinking habit, it said.
It alleged that two former ministers were running liquor factories and Vaiko's family iteslf has an agency for tobacco products, all of which are injurious to health.

TASMAC pointed out that the local panchayat had passed a resolution seeking to close the shop in the village and hence it should be closed as per previous orders of the court in various cases.

Justices R Sudhakar and V M Velumani ordered notice to the government, seeking its reply on August 13.
MDMK General Secretary Vaiko's younger brother V. Ravichandran had filed a PIL, seeking a direction to the Home Secretary and the Tirunelveli Collector to close down a state- run liquor shop established at their native village Kalingapatti.
Ravichandran, also president of Kalingapatti panchayat, said most residents of his village were daily wage labourers living below the poverty line. The panchayat had passed a resolution in 2012 objecting to setting up the liquor shop, he said.
The death of Gandhian Sasi Perumal during a stir against a TASMAC outlet in Kanyakumari district had triggered state-wide protests on the issue of prohibition with parties like DMK, DMDK and MDMK latching on to the issue.

On August 4, a dawn-to-dusk bandh call was enforced by MDMK, VCK, MMK over prohibition. It was backed by Left parties and a traders federation.
DMK today observed a state-wide protest on the issue.