HC Issued Notices to TS on Toddy Shops in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday asked the state government why it had approved the setting up of nearly 100 shops in the city and its vicinity to sell toddy manufactured using dangerous chemicals like chloral hydrate, diazepam, and alprazolam, among others, which affect the health of the consumer and could result in death.

The notices were issued to the Chief Secretary, principal secretary, revenue, and the commissioner of prohibition and excise department.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti was hearing a PIL filed by the Forum for Good Governance, an NGO, represented by its president Srinivas Reddy, seeking a direction to the government to suspend GO 24 issued by the revenue (excise-II) department, which they had said accorded permission for establishing toddy shops in the city and urban areas.

They said the GO had deleted the “clause” which stated that the shops could come up “only in such places where tappable toddy trees are available within 50 kilometres.” This has resulted in hundreds of toddy shops coming up in the city and the vicinity, endangering the lives of consumers, more particularly labourers.

Counsel for the petitioner said that the previous state government had issued the GO permitting toddy shops with the “clause” that they could be opened in places where tappable toddy trees were available within 50 km.

He submitted to the court that 99 people had died by consuming adulterated toddy during 2002-04.