Liquor from grains: Nagpur HC bench rejects plea to ban allowance

The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has rejected a writ petition by Anna Hazare,Abhay and Rani Bang and others.

Written by Express News Service
Nagpur | August 7, 2011 03:57 AM IST

2 min read

The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has rejected a writ petition by Anna Hazare,Abhay and Rani Bang and others,praying for a ban on allowance for manufacturing of liquor from foodgrains. The bench,comprising Justices Vasanti Naik and Prasanna Warale,rejected the plea on the ground that the Bombay High Court had rejected a similar petition covering the issues raised by the petitioners and that the government has already wound up the policy of issuing fresh licences for such units. Activists Anil Avchat,Prakash Amte,Narendra Dabholkar,Hiraman Warkhede and Sachin Tiwle were the other petitioners in the matter. The petitioners had raised the issue of food security,saying the use of foodgrains for liquor manufacture was improper in that it actually amounts to perpetuating hunger and also crime. My clients had actually also invoked the spirit of Article 47 of the Constitution,saying tit was obligatory on the part of the state to implement total prohibition,but the court refused to entertain the plea, petitioners lawyer Ashutosh Dharmadhikari said.

The state government had started issuing licences in 2007,but had wound up the policy in 2009 following widespread criticism.