Noting with regret the inability of the State government to constitute a proper committee to examine, frame and implement a scheme to give effect to the recommendations set out in World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report on “Global Status on alcohol and health,” the Madras High Court has warned the government that the court would have to create the committee by itself.
“We grant the last opportunity to the government to constitute a committee by terms of reference; otherwise we will have little choice but to do it ourselves. The cut-off [date] for doing so is fixed as June 15,” the First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh said.
The Bench made the observation on a public interest litigation petition moved by the Advocate’s Forum for Social Justice, represented by its president, Advocate K.Balu.
The petitioner sought the court to direct the State government to constitute a committee to deal with alcohol-related health problems by implementing the recommendations of the WHO.
He pointed out that the government did not have a properly articulated policy on alcohol and its increasing sale in the State. “The revenue generated through sale of alcohol has increased year by year. In 2008-09, the revenue was Rs. 10601.50 crore, it has steeply increased to Rs. 21680.67 crore in 2012-13.”
The forum further submitted that the attitude of the State government towards the situation resulted in aggravating the effects of alcoholism and its associated problems in the State.
