The Madras High Court on Thursday sought the response of the government to a PIL petition that challenged the validity of a 1996 G.O. permitting sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
A Division Bench of Justices M.S. Ramesh and G.R. Swaminathan directed Government Pleader (in-charge) T.N. Rajagopalan to obtain instructions from the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department by January 5. According to the petitioner, S. Prathab, 40, about 10 breweries in the State manufacture around 24 crore bottles of liquor every month. While the use of glass bottles paves the way for recycling, the PET bottles would encourage the use-and-throw culture and harm the environment, he said.
