Chennai: The Supreme Court will today hear via video-conferencing an appeal filed by TASMAC against a Madras High Court order of 8 May to close liquor shops in Tamilnadu, with immediate effect, to enforce social distancing till the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted or modified.
A Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, S K Kaul and B R Gavai will hear the government’s contention that an indefinite closure of liquor shops would lead to ‘grave revenue and commercial losses.
TASMAC on Thursday informed the Madras High Court that it would restrict the liquor sale to 500 people per day at each outlet and assured that only 70 people would be allowed per hour inorder to avoid crowding and maintain social distancing.
The Tamilnadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) made the submission in its counter to a batch of petitions challenging the reopening of government-run liquor shops in Tamil Nadu. It also submitted that the overcrowding took place in some shops, which were reopened after a long gap of 41 days due to Covid-19.
When the batch of petitions came up before the full bench comprising Chief Justice AP Sahi, Justices Vineet Kothari and PN Prakash through video conference, it said it was concerned whether the State can be permitted to resume liquor sale during lockdown and whether public health can be overlooked by the State for revenue generation.
The appeal filed by Tamilnadu government against the High Court order directing the closure of TASMAC liquor shops is pending before the Supreme Court and listed for hearing tomorrow.
The issue pertains to the interim order passed by a division bench of the High Court directing the closure of all TASMAC shops till the lock down period and posted the matter for further hearing to 14 May. In its counter, TASMAC contended that the division bench was wrong in passing the interim order as the apex court had already refused to stay functioning of liquor shops during lockdown.
The petitioners submitted that allowing sale of liquor would go against the Covid-19 lockdown guidelines and argued that the state must not be permitted to reopen liquor shops till the curbs were eased. Recording the submissions, the bench adjourned the matter as advocate general Vijay Narayan sought time to get instructions from the government.