Explain why election days were declared dry: High Court to state

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to explain its reasons for declaring days of election voting and counting as dry days.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Maharashtra Wine Merchants Association,Maharashtra Rajya Toddy Madi Utpadak and Parvana and the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association challenging a state government notification of 1999 that prohibited the sale of alcohol on days of polling and counting. The petitioners had contested the governments decision,stating that declaring more than a day as dry was unjustified.

Why should wine shops remain closed? We dont understand what the logic is, Justice PB Majmudar said. That the (election) contestant should not be serving wine to anyone? said Justice RM Sawant. He also said that since the circular was challenged prior to Lok Sabha Elections in 1999,it was perhaps infructuous now.

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The government counsel,however,told the court that though it was challenged in 1999,the notification still stays. She also said the commissioner of excise had proposed an amendment to the notification,a decision on which is pending with the state government.

Justice Sawant,however,said that according to the amendment proposed by the excise commissioner,sale of alcohol was curtailed 42 hours before the conclusion of polls. That means the day of the polls and a day before that, he said. The court asked the government counsel to appraise it about the governments stand on the proposed amendment and adjourned the case till August 22.

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