Prohibition protests back in Tamil Nadu, govt points to revenue loss
Though protests for prohibition are back in Tamil Nadu, the government is in no mood to act against Tasmac liquor shops
Chennai: The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which returned to power last year promising “phased prohibition" in Tamil Nadu, is not happy with the shutting down of the state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) liquor shops.
Widespread protests for prohibition which rocked Tamil Nadu a few years ago, making the issue a rallying point during the 2016 assembly elections, are back again and the government is in no mood to act against Tasmac shops that have been a major contributor to its coffers.
Also read: Prohibition in Tamil Nadu, once again?
Following a Supreme Court order to ban liquor shops within 500 kilometres of the state and national highways from 31 March, the state municipal administration on 21 April issued a circular to all municipal corporations to pass resolutions and include state and national highway roads within their limits.
While the state had cited that it was doing it to for easy maintenance of such roads, a bunch of petitions were immediately filed in the Madras high court, including pleas by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader R.S. Bharati and the legal wing of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), stating that the move was intended to evade the SC directive.
Hearing the petition, a division bench comprising Justices N. Kirubakaran and V. Parthiban restrained authorities from opening or relocating Tasmac shops in residential areas.
“In case of any agitation with regard to the functioning of Tasmac shops, the authorities shall not arrest or take action against the protestors, if they demonstrate peacefully, without causing inconvenience to the public," the Bench had observed.
The court had also directed that Tasmac shops should not be opened where there was a “grama sabha" resolution against their location in villages or any other local body.
However, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday argued that the state’s revenue was affected, and sought the Madras HC to modify its order.
The state, which earns Rs26,000 crore per year through its liquor sales, has shut down 1,000 liquor shops, as part of its “phased prohibition" poll promise, since it returned to power in May last year. Finance minister D. Jayakumar had estimated that the net outstanding debt of the state government would rise to Rs3.14 trillion by 31 March 2018.
Also read: Palaniswami govt presents maiden budget in Tamil Nadu
In a state that witnessed peaceful protests against the Tasmac shops over the years, the recent agitations seem more intense, sometimes even turning violent. The government received notices from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in April, after the video of a senior police official slapping a woman protester during an anti-liquor agitation in Tirupur district went viral. Within a few days, angry residents in the same district ransacked a liquor shop that was relocated from a national highway.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!