Act on representation against establishing Tasmac near school: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Coimbatore district Collector to take a call on representation against the act of establishing a liquor bar near a school in Thennampalayam village of Arasur village panchayat in the district.

A vacation bench of Justice GR Swaminathan and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed the direction to the collector on disposing of a petition filed by R Rameshkumar, a resident of Coimbatore.

The petitioner prayed for a direction from the court to the district administration to stop the act of Tasmac to establish a retail outlet and a bar attached to the liquor shop.

“Tasmac has chosen a place to open a liquor outlet and bar in Thennampalayam village. However, the identified place is merely 50 meters away from the school. Therefore, the general public raised objections to the move. As the collector is vested with the power to grant the license as per Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (sales in shop and bar) Rules, 2003, I made a representation to the district collector on April 22 not to grant a license to establish the liquor shop and bar in nearby the school. However, the collector has not responded to my representation, ” the petitioner submitted.

The petitioner also noted that the inaction of the respondents towards the objection against the proposed opening of the liquor outlet and bars deprives the right of people in the locality to live a peaceful life.

On recording the submissions, the bench directed the collector to consider the representation and take a call in accordance with the law.