Soon, you may not be able to consume liquor in wine stores or dhabas—an illegal practice that is rampant in and around Bangalore for decades.
Soon, you may not be able to consume liquor in wine stores or dhabas—an illegal practice that is rampant in and around Bangalore for decades.
The Karnataka high court on Wednesday took strong exception to this gross violation of the Excise Act, and took the state excise commissioner to task for his department's failure to initiate action against illegal consumption of liquor in wine shops, and consumption and sale of liquor well over the maximum retail price in dhabas on the city outskirts.
A high court division bench headed by chief justice JS Khehar and justice AS Bopanna sought strict implementation of the Excise Act, which means that such activities will have to stop. The court directed the excise commissioner to be present in the court at the next date of hearing and directed him to file a personal affidavit.
The high court stated this while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Bhavani Ram Prasad and Manjula Bhavani, which contended that the state government had failed to initiate any action against wine stores, hotels and dhabas serving liquor without licences.
The petitioners had submitted photos showing wine shops illegally serving liquor within their premises, which is illegal as wine shops are authorised only to sell and not allow consumption in their premises.
Chief justice Khehar questioned: “What is the excise commissioner doing?... If the commissioner is not discharging his duties, then he does not deserve to be in the post. We will take action against him. If he is not competent in discharging his duties we will transfer him.”
When the petitioners showed a photograph of a police ‘Hoysala’ patrol vehicle standing in front of a wine store where illegal consumption was taking place, chief justice Khehar said of the state government, “It clearly shows that even you are involved in this.” The petitioners contended that as per the excise act, wine shops are not supposed to allow customers to drink in the shop; while section 15A of the act says that restaurants and dhabas are not permitted to sell liquor at all unless they have a licence.
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