HC seeks report to shut liquor outlets 30 mins before usual time

CHENNAI: The first division bench of Madras High Court sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government to apprise the court whether the Tasmac liquor outlets could be closed by 9.30 PM instead of the routine closure time i.e., 10 pm.

Heading the bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Acting Chief Justice T Raja passed the direction on hearing the petition filed by Gopinath and Mohan, residents of Vengathur village in Tiruvallur district.

The petitioners prayed for an order to revise the Tasmac liquor outlets' working time in order to shut the shops before 10 pm. The main ground raised by the petitioner was that many people are consuming liquor on the roadside and public places after 10 pm and the same is causing disturbing the public.

The petitioners pointed out that as per the Tamil Nadu Liquor Vending Rules 2003, the liquor bars can function from 8 am to 12 am. "Currently, the bars attached to the liquor outlets are functioning from 12 pm to 10 pm concurrently while the liquor outlets are functioning, " the petitioner submitted. He further stressed the court to raise the bar timings beyond the closing hours of liquor outlets.

Responding to the submissions, Tasmac submitted that the timing to open and close the Tasmac liquor outlets is purely the policy decision of the state government. "It has been in the consideration to increase the closure time of bars, " Tasmac added.

Recording the submissions, the judges adjourned the matter by a week.