The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has urged the Tamil Nadu government to review its liquor policy, considering the welfare of future generations.This request came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Prabhu from Singaram Nagar, Kattur, Trichy. Prabhu’s petition highlighted concerns over the planned establishment of a liquor bar near the Meen Market in Lingam Nagar, Uraiyur, fearing it would cause disturbances to the local population.
In response, Prabhu had submitted petitions to the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise and the Trichy Collector, seeking a ban on the opening of the liquor bar. He emphasized that granting a license for the bar would lead to public inconvenience.
The case was heard by Justices R. Sureshkumar and G. Arulmurugan. Representing the government, the officials stated that, according to regulations, liquor sales are prohibited within 50 meters of places of worship and educational institutions in municipal and urban areas, and within 100 meters in other areas. They pointed out that there were no places of worship or educational institutions within 50 meters of the proposed location, hence there was no violation of rules. Consequently, the petition was dismissed by the Collector.
The judges upheld the Collector’s decision, stating that there was no error in rejecting the petition based on the rules. They mentioned that licenses could be granted according to government policy decisions.
However, the judges raised concerns about the proximity rule, noting that placing a TASMAC shop 51 or 52 meters away from a place of worship or an educational institution still poses risks to students and the public. They highlighted that the government should not assume that such a minimal distance ensures no adverse impact.
The court also noted the public opposition to TASMAC shops and bars, and criticized the regulations that seem designed to protect such establishments rather than public welfare. They implied that the focus of these rules appears to be on promoting liquor sales, which could have long-term detrimental effects on Tamil Nadu’s population.