MP: Liquor traders get three days to file affidavit in HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday issued an interim direction to 30 liquor contractors, who have bagged bids for sale, to furnish an affidavit within three working days stating if they are ready to reopen their shops. A division bench of Chief Justice A K Mittal and Justice V K Shukla said the state government is entitled to auction shops afresh if liquor contractors don't submit the affidavit in the given time, the petitioners' lawyer Naman Nagrath said. Furthermore, the court noted that recovery of dues from the petitioners in case of re-auctioning of shops shall be subject to the decision of the writ petitions being heard, he added.

The division bench restrained the state from taking any coercive action against the petitioners during the pendency of the writ petitions till next date of hearing on June 17, the counsel said. A petition filed by 30 liquor contractors along with 23 other petitions having common issues came up for hearing in the court. In their petition, the liquor contractors sought direction from the court to the state government to either revise the terms and conditions of their liquor sale contract or recall the entire bidding process for the current fiscal in view of the downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 60 per cent of outlets selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) are closed in Madhya Pradesh for over a week following a tussle between the state government and the liquor contractors.