Maintain distance between liquor shop, old age home, says Madras HC

Madras High Court on Monday directed that a distance should be maintained a state run TASMAC liquor shop and an old age home at a village in Coimbatore district even though a government rule of 2003 does not specifically state it.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar in its recent order on a PIL from P Raju, who sought a direction to authorities to not shift the liquor shop from alongside a highway to near old age home.

The bench stated that though Rule 8 of Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail vending rules 2003 does not specifically mention an old age home, keeping in mind distances to be mantained from places of worship, educational institutions and the like, it felt that distance should be maintained from old-age home, particularly one where most immates are women under care of Psychiatrists.

Raju, President of Ayyampalayam village Panchayat, Pollachi North Union, submitted that as per the Supreme Court order the TASMAC shops should be removed from National and State High Ways from such a distance already prescribed in the schedule.   

The Government under the guise of relocating the shops was trying to shift one such shop near an Old age home, where some inmates were taking treatment for psychiatric problems.    

If the shop is shifted to the spot, it would affect the peaceful life of the public, particularly the inmates, he said.

Raju said he was constrained to file this petition as his earlier representations to the government, including that one given on March 31 2017, had not evoked any response. 

(With PTI inputs)