Summary
Tamil Nadu sought clarification of the July2017 explanation of the Court’s highway liquor-sale directions. The Court confirmed that the clarification concerning licensed establishments within municipal areas applied to all municipal areas throughout the country, avoiding repeated applications.
Issues
- Whether the earlier clarification for municipal areas was confined to Chandigarh or applied nationally.
- How the highway directions were understood in relation to licensed municipal establishments.
Held
- The July2017 decision had upheld Chandigarh’s reclassification of inter-sectoral urban roads and explained that the highway directions addressed roads providing connectivity between cities, towns and villages. The current order applied that explanation. (¶ 4–5)
- The clarification that the order did not prohibit licensed establishments within municipal areas governed all municipal areas wherever situated, not merely Chandigarh. Its purpose was to settle the issue for other parts of the country and avoid repeated applications. This order did not itself grant any particular liquor licence. (¶ 5–6)
Result
Interlocutory applications disposed of; the earlier clarification concerning licensed establishments within municipal areas confirmed to apply to all municipal areas throughout the country.