The bench said serving liquor under special license to guests, visitors and participants at international, national conferences, summits and sports events should be done strictly as a hospitality measure and the license should not be misused for selling liquor at the venues of such events.
Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the interim orders on a petition filed by advocate K Balu, president of Advocates Forum for Social Justice and leader of PMK challenging the amendments made to the liquor vending rules.
The bench said serving liquor under special license to guests, visitors and participants at international, national conferences, summits and sports events should be done strictly as a hospitality measure and the license should not be misused for selling liquor at the venues of such events.
Saying that the hospitality to serve liquor should be restricted only to the enclosed area, the bench directed that the authorities of Prohibition and Excise department to monitor such activity. The court adjourned the matter to April 18 for further hearing.
It may be noted that the state government drew flak when it issued the G.O.s for amending the Tamil Nadu Liquor (License and permit) Rules, 1981 with respect to the FL 12 license providing for possession of liquor and serving to guests, visitors and participants in the international/national conferences, summits held in conference halls/convention centres etc. other than in the precincts of educational institutions and also in venues and stadia hosting international/national sports events and not in commercial places viz., marriage hall, banquet hall and not during conduct of household celebrations, function, parties etc.
When the petition was taken up for hearing last year, the court had granted interim injunction against serving liquor at the events as per the amendments.
