The government should abide by the ruling of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, ordering closure of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor shops in residential localities, Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader S. Ramadoss has said.
In a statement here on Saturday, he regretted that there had been an increase in the number of TASMAC retail outlets across the State in recent years.
Disposing of a petition filed against a TASMAC outlet at Vikramasinghapuram in Tirunelveli district, the Bench said that opening of an outlet in a residential area amounted to “snatching the right of the people to a decent living.”
However, the State argued that the rules and guidelines prohibited TASMAC outlets near places of worship and educational institutions.
The court refused to accept this argument.
Article 21 of the Constitution spoke of the right of the people to a decent living with dignity in a peaceful surrounding and the right to breathe clean and fresh air, the court said.
Dr. Ramadoss said the court order should be complied with. Ninety per cent of the liquor shops in Chennai city and 60 per cent in the rest of the State were located in residential localities, he said.
