Panel ready for anti-liquor campaign

The Government submitted that a seven-member committee under the chairmanship of Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise, Chennai, has been formed and till date, as many as four meetings had been held by roping in social sector workers. The terms of reference of the committee revolves around suggesting measures to check the consumption of alcohol, especially in the under-aged group, evolving preventing measures where essential family needs are diverted for the purchase of alcohol and chart out rehabilitation measures for persons who are addicted to alcohol. 

The status report also submitted that the committee is still in the process of consulting with various departments and experts in the field and hence it needed more time to study the schemes available in the neighbouring states and Government of India before compiling the final report.  The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, on recording the submission and taking into account the one-month time sought to submit the Committee’s report to the government, adjourned the case to November 25. 

The matter relates to a PIL filed by Advocates Forum for Social Justice represented by K Balu, seeking a direction to give effect to the recommendations and measures set out in the ‘Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014’. The first bench, while directing the State Government to form a committee on June 17, had observed that “though the various aspects of the Global Status report on Alcohol and Health, 2014 is being implemented in different forms, it cannot be disputed that there is large consumption of alcohol and there is need to check this habit.”