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Why not Aadhaar link for buying liquor
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday asked why not make Aadhaar card mandatory for the purchase of liquor outlets to regulate the sale in Tasmac outlets.
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Madurai
This suggestion was made by a division bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S S Sundar while hearing a petition filed by Muthupandi of Madurai seeking to quash the tender notification for running bars attached to liquor shops.
The petitioner stated that the tender notified by the government on February 21 to run bars along with such liquor shops would remain in effect till March 1.
Moreover, there was nil transparency in the tendering system called for run bars since the applications could neither be sent in person nor through online communication to the TASMAC administration. Hence, the petitioner sought the bench to quash the tender process issued by the government for bars attached to Tasmac liquor shops.
The bench observed that the number of juvenile offenders were on the rise since many adolescent boys had been employed to serve the customers in these bars. Further, it was appalling that videos spread on social media showed students clad in uniform consuming alcohol in many places. Hence, it was the bounden duty of the State government to eliminate such distressing trend.
Further, the bench also questioned the possibility of reducing timing and duration of working hours of TASMAC liquor outlets from 2 pm to 8 pm. The bench also sought the government’s view on why bars not attached to liquor shops be closed. At the end of the hearing, the bench issued notice to the Managing Director of TASMAC seeking his explanation on the questions raised by the court and adjourned the case to March 12.
TASMAC proposes stringent punishment for illegal bars
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd (TASMAC) has informed the Madras High Court that a proposal would be submitted to the Government for appropriately amending the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937, the rules for enabling the sealing of illegal bars and imposing punishment with fine.
Filing a status report on the illegal bars functioning in the State before a division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Tuesday, TASMAC, Managing Director, R Kirlosh Kumar submitted that since there is no specific Act or Rule provision for sealing the premises, it has been decided to amend the Act in a bid to provide stringent punishment to those involved in operating illegal bars.
However, noting that TASMAC has classified illegal bars into two types, one with full-fledged illegal bar with table, chairs and bar tenderers to sell water packets, eatables etc. and another one as petty shops selling eatables, water packets nearby TASMAC retail vending shops, the status report revealed that such illegal bars are still being sealed during joint inspections conducted by TASMAC, Excise officials and Prohibition Enforcement Wing of Police Department and an FIR filed with an eye on stopping public nuisance.
Accordingly, TASMAC and excise officials have identified and sealed 762 number of premises between January 2018 and December 2018. Of them, 234 premises remain in sealed condition and 186 have obtained the bar license from TASMAC and are being run as licensed bar. In the case of remaining 342 premises, the owners/lessee of the premises have opened the sealed premises after remitting the fine in the respective Judicial Magistrate courts.
Also, noting that between February 13, 2019 and February 19, 2019 in the frequent inspections held, 99 premises which were used to run illegal bars were sealed, the Status report claimed that the number of licensed bars had increased from 1,555 to 2,051 while the number of shops had gone up from 4,502 to 5.198 during the past 15 months by conducting tenders at frequent intervals, holding periodical inspection and initiating action against illegal bars.
However, the bench adjourned the case to Wednesday for passing orders after holding that repeat offenders should be taken to task so that the aspect of illegal bars is eradicated.
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