The Madhya Pradesh High Court here has refused to entertain a PIL seeking a direction for a ban on liquor in the state.
A division bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Rajendra Menon and A K Shrivastava, while disposing off the petition recently, observed that since the matter is directly related to revenue, the state government has to decide whether to ban liquor or not.
The court also told the petitioner, Madan Mohan Shakargayen, that he was free to make a representation to the state government in this regard.
The petitioner, a local activist, said in his PIL that Gujarat, Bihar and Kerala have banned liquor due to its bad effects on the society and hence it should be banned in Madhya Pradesh as well.
"Liquor consumption is increasing in Madhya Pradesh. The shops across MP remained opened till 12 o'clock in the night as per the state government decision and there is a surge in criminal activities during night hours as shops remain open till midnights," it said.
Heavily-drunk people pose a threat to women, the petitioner said citing cases in which drunkards had assaulted women.
Shakargayen told reporters today that he would approach the state government and request it to ban production, transport and sale of liquor in Madhya Pradesh by November 2016.
