Now, its mandatory for Collectors to consider objection to location of liquor shops, Tamil Nadu govt. tells HC
The Hindu
T.N. liquor retail vending rules of 2003 have been amended, it says
The State government on Monday informed the Madras High Court of having amended the Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (In Shops and Bars) Rules of 2003 on Sunday thereby making it mandatory for Collectors to consider objections received with regard to location of liquor shops before approving the location.
The submission was made before a Full Bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu. The Bench was seized of a reference made by a Division Bench for an authoritative pronouncement on the persuasive value of resolutions passed by Village Panchayats against location of liquor shops.
Senior counsel N.L. Rajah and M. Ajmal Khan argued that the local bodies too fall under the definition of State and hence the resolutions passed by them against location of a liquor shop must be considered binding upon the Collector. They said that the opposition of the residents to the location of a liquor shop must be respected.