Take note of representations on liquor shops in Kalapet village: Madras HC

Chennai: Pointing to representations sent by Chief Minister of Puducherry, V.Narayanasamy, while he was a member of Parliament in 1996, former Chief Minister V.Vaithilingam, as the leader of the opposition in 1996 and M.O.H.Farook, member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in 1996 to the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, requesting him not to locate or relocate any additional liquor shops in Kalapet revenue village in Puducherry, the Madras high court directed the authorities to take note of the same and pass appropriate orders on locating or relocating liquor shops in the village.

A division bench comprising Justice M.Sathyanarayanan and Justice M.Sundar gave the directive while disposing of a petition from Kanagachettikulam Makkal Pondunala Eyakkam represented by its secretary N.Soundararajan. The latter sought a direction to the authorities in Puducherry not to issue any new license or transfer/shift liquor shops anywhere in Kalapet revenue village, Ganapathichettikulam village, Puducherry in the interest of students and general public as the village is situated along the East Coast Road, where many temples and educational institutions including the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Science and Dr B.R.Ambedkar Government law college are located.

The bench said it was the submission of the government pleader that since the excise department was the second largest revenue contributor to the government exchequer and on account of the orders passed by the Supreme Court of India, the government was under compulsion to re-locate liquor shops, they were left with no other option except to carry out the exercise. “The authorities, while doing so, shall take note of the above said representations and of the location of the very many educational institutions in the village, besides public sentiments and pass appropriate orders and take appropriate steps,” the bench added.