TASMAC shops: ‘Discuss need to hear local body views’

Source – newindianexpress.com

CHENNAI: A full Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the State to deliberate the need for district collectors to consider views of grama sabhas and panchayats before locating TASMAC shops. A reference was made to the bench comprising Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justices CV Karthikeyan and PD Audikesavalu to answer questions on the role of local bodies like gram sabhas and panchayats in the matter of selecting a site for opening a liquor shop.

The State Government was called to inform the court as to whether it intends to bring about any appropriate amendments to Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (in Shops and Bars) Rules 2003 in 2018 itself. When the matter came up for hearing, Government Pleader said no inter-departmental meeting of government officials was held for deliberating the issue.

“Being a model state and a welfare state, it is all the more necessary that the government should have deeper concerns about the health and social welfare of its citizens in the light of the obligations that have been cast upon the local bodies as also the State government itself while framing any laws on the subject matter,” the bench observed.

The full bench then directed counsel appearing for the State to communicate the order to the Chief Secretary, to coordinate among other authorities to file appropriate affidavit informing the outcome of such deliberations and expected that the State will come up with some positive action by the next hearing on February 20.