The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and other authorities on a plea seeking an immediate ban on the sale of alcohol in packaging formats such as tetra packs and sachets, days after the apex court declined to entertain a similar petition challenging Uttar Pradesh’s new excise policy.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi agreed to hear the petition filed by the organisation ‘Community Against Drunken Driving’.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Vipin Nair argued that the definition of “bottle” under existing excise laws was “vague” and required standardisation.
“They are confusing fruit juice with liquor. They use photo of apple and the pack contains Vodka,” Nair told the court, while stressing that the State had a duty to protect public health.
The plea has sought directions to the Centre to frame a uniform policy applicable across states and Union Territories to immediately prohibit the sale of alcohol in tetra packs and sachets. It has also sought directions for states to amend their excise laws, rules and policies to adopt a standard definition of “bottling” restricted to glass containers or other visibly distinct receptacles.
The latest hearing comes against the backdrop of a similar public interest litigation related to Uttar Pradesh’s revised excise policy. On April 16, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant had refused to entertain the PIL directly and asked the petitioner to approach state authorities with the grievance.
The petitioner in that matter had argued that liquor sold in tetra packs was easily reaching educational institutions and contributing to rising crime and alcohol abuse.
Uttar Pradesh had defended its policy changes, saying country liquor, earlier sold in glass bottles, would now be mandatorily packaged in tetra packs to improve safety standards and curb adulteration.
The state’s revised excise policy had also introduced an e-lottery system for the allocation of liquor and bhang shops.
