CHENNAI: A lawyer has moved the Madras high court seeking to quash a GO passed by the Tamil Nadu government for reopening Tasmac liquor shops in the state.
According to advocate B Ramkumar Adityan, as Tasmac shops are crowded even during normal time, expecting implementation of social distancing is highly impractical.
On May 4, the Tamil Nadu government passed an order (GO) announcing that Tasmac liquor shops would be reopened on May 7. The shops will function between 10am and 5pm. The order added that strict social distancing norms would be implemented, and additional staff would be deputed to each shop to control crowd.
Stating that implementing such rules were practically not possible at such shops, the petitioner said, “We have witnessed long queues outside such liquor outlets even during normal days. On Monday, when such shops were opened in neighbouring states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, serpentine queues were witnessed at every wine shop in both rural and urban areas for more than 2km. This was widely telecast by almost all the media.”
In parts of Delhi, such shops had been closed immediately after opening as the authorities could not control the crowd, he added.
Though the courts could not interfere in the policy decision of the state during normal days, it could do so in extraordinary times like the prevailing situation, the petitioner said.
Therefore, the petitioner wanted the court to interfere and pass an interim order staying the operation of the GO and consequently quash the same.
The plea filed as a public interest litigation is likely to be taken up for hearing on Wednesday.
According to advocate B Ramkumar Adityan, as Tasmac shops are crowded even during normal time, expecting implementation of social distancing is highly impractical.
On May 4, the Tamil Nadu government passed an order (GO) announcing that Tasmac liquor shops would be reopened on May 7. The shops will function between 10am and 5pm. The order added that strict social distancing norms would be implemented, and additional staff would be deputed to each shop to control crowd.
Stating that implementing such rules were practically not possible at such shops, the petitioner said, “We have witnessed long queues outside such liquor outlets even during normal days. On Monday, when such shops were opened in neighbouring states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, serpentine queues were witnessed at every wine shop in both rural and urban areas for more than 2km. This was widely telecast by almost all the media.”
In parts of Delhi, such shops had been closed immediately after opening as the authorities could not control the crowd, he added.
Though the courts could not interfere in the policy decision of the state during normal days, it could do so in extraordinary times like the prevailing situation, the petitioner said.
Therefore, the petitioner wanted the court to interfere and pass an interim order staying the operation of the GO and consequently quash the same.
The plea filed as a public interest litigation is likely to be taken up for hearing on Wednesday.
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