SC declines to hear PIL on liquor ban

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a PIL for banning the liquor across the country saying the issue was a policy matter and should be decided by the government only.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana did not agree to the plea made by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who cited research reports stating that liquor was harmful to health. “There are reports from both the sides. There are researches which said red wine, if consumed, in limited quantity is good for heart.

Which reports should we rely,” the bench asked. The court, however, allowed the petitioner to withdraw his petition in order to enable him to approach the government for framing National Liquor Policy in terms of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) and 47 (duty of state to improve public health) of the Constitution.