A month after the Maharashtra government announced to allow the sale of wine in supermarkets and walk-in stories, a social activist has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court (HC) to challenge the decision.
The petition has been filed by Sandip Kusalkar, who is a resident of Ahmednagar, runs an NGO called Yuvaan for youth empowerment and unprivileged.
He mentioned, in the PIL, that the government's decision was defeating the aim and objective of de-glamorising alcohol consumption and would facilitate a person to buy alcohol on his own without any supervision.
Kusalkar claims to be working closely with teenagers, young adults and underprivileged children, who are either orphans or unable to receive parental care, said such children are susceptible to social vices like alcohol or drug addiction and gambling.
The petition filed in the high court also claimed that the state's decision was contrary to a government resolution of August 2011 that adopts a de-addiction policy to curb proliferation of addictions among youth, and to take efforts to discourage people from indulging in drinking habits.
The PIL sought to declare the cabinet decision as “illegal” and “unconstitutional”, and pleaded that the same be quashed and set aside. The High Court will hear the plea in due course.
On January 27, in its meeting, the state cabinet allowed the sale of wine in supermarkets and walk-in stores across the state. A minister had then said that the decision was taken to give a boost to fruit-based wineries which provide additional income to farmers. This decision, however, will not be applicable in Gadchiroli and Wardha districts, where the sale of alcohol is prohibited.