Supreme Court asks govt to shift Tasmac outlets away from old age homes

Chennai: Five months after Supreme Court passed a landmark order banning all liquor shops 500 meters away from national and state highways, the Madras high court has directed the state government to shift Tasmac outlets away from old age homes.

When a PIL from P. Raju of Coimbatore came up for hearing before the first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar, it said "even though there is no specific mention of an old age home in the Rule 8 of the Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending rules 2003, having regard to the objects what distance is required to be maintained from places of worship, educational institutions like to be maintained from place, we are of the view that distance should also be maintained from old age home, particularly an old-age home where the majority of the inhabitants are women under care of psychiatrists."
In the petition, Raju, President of Ayyampalayam village Panchayat, Pollachi North Union, has submitted that as per the Supreme Court order over 3,300 Tasmac shops were removed from national and state highways from April 1.

However, the government, in the guise of re-locating the shops, has been planning to shift a shop Ayyampalayam village near an old age home where many elders undergoing treatment for psychiatric problems. Many other aged persons also residing in the home, he said.

Stating that if the shop shifted to the proposed place it would affect the peace in the area especially the inmate in the old age home. Highlighting the issue, several representations were given to the authorities. As there was no response, he filed the present PIL to direct the authorities not to shift the proposed Tasmac shop near old age home at Ayyampalayam village, Pollachi taluk, Coimbatore district.