Liquor Shops To Reopen In Tamil Nadu As Supreme Court Stays High Court Order
Supreme Court stays Madras High Court order that shut liquor shops during the lockdown.
The Supreme Court of India today ordered a stay on the operation of the Madras High Court’s order that shut the state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd.’s liquor outlets during the lockdown imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The state-run unit had appealed the high court’s decision in the Supreme Court, which came up for hearing before a three-judge bench.
The Madras High Court, in its order dated May 8, had ordered shutting of the liquor outlets after it found instances of violation of social distancing norms that are part of the guidelines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The petitioners argued that the high court order was an example of judicial overreach and that it had incorrectly interpretated an earlier Supreme Court observation, which asked states to consider home delivery of alcohol. They also argued that, according to the apex court, this is an issue that should be managed by the states.
“It’s pertinent that in the State of Tamil Nadu all liquor retail is owned and operated by TASMAC thus the net effect of the Hon’ble High Court’s order is complete and indefinite standstill of the sale of liquor in the State leading to grave losses to the State’s revenue and commercial activity in the State,’’ the petition read. BloombergQuint has reviewed a copy of the petition.
The interim order today was passed by a bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice BR Gavai.