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How to discourage drinking in and around Tasmac shops: Madras High Court

The court said the petitioner seeks enforcement of formulation of a scheme to give effect to the recommendations
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed Tasmac to file an affidavit within four weeks as to how the habit of drinking in and around IMFL shops is to be discouraged, as those shops are meant only for selling liquor.
In this behalf, the DGP should also file an affidavit setting out the steps so far taken and proposed to be taken to discourage the same, said a Division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T. S. Sivagnanam while passing interim orders on a PIL from Advocates’ Forum for Social Justice by its president K. Balu.
The court posted for October 29 further hearing of the case after government pleader S. T. S. Moorthy and advocate S. Muthuraj took notice for the state government and Tasmac.
The court said the petitioner seeks enforcement of formulation of a scheme to give effect to the recommendations and measures set out in the “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, 2014” of the World Health Organization.
“We thus require the respondents (authorities) concerned to file counter affidavit in the context of what the report states and the measures envisaged for its implementation”, the court added.
In his petition, Balu submitted that recognising the problems associated with alcoholism, WHO has framed policies for dealing with alcoholism. The same were set out in “Global Status report on Alcohol and Health 2014”. Since this has been prepared by a detailed study by experts it demands attention and implementation by the state.
Though he continues to demand total prohibition, till that was implemented, the state must as part of damage control seek to at least implement the measures and recommendations set out in the WHO report, he added.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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