MPHRC moves HC as govt ignores directive on liquor shops

Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has filed a writ petition in the High Court after the state government did not heed its directive to remove liquor shops operating close to densely populated areas.
Acting chairman of MPHRC, Justice A K Saxena, recommended to the state government on September 27, 2012 to remove all the liquor shops situated close to densely populated localities in the state by issuing fresh notification within two months in place of the existing one of June 7, 2001, the Commission PRO Rohit Mehta said today.
As the government did not act, commission filed a writ petition which would come up for hearing next month, he said.

The commission had taken the initiative after residents of Comfort Plaza and Gomti Colony here complained that drunkards had become a nuisance, especially for women, he said.
The commission also praised Wara gram-panchayat in Balaghat district which recently decided to remove a liquor shop taking cognisance of its recommendations.
Mehta added that the commission could move the High Court in other matters too, such as farmers' suicide, malnutrition, etc, whenever its recommendations go unheeded.