RAJIB RABHA Vs. STATE OF ASSAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Mr. H. Das, learned counsel for the petitioner; Ms. N. Khatun, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Ms. K. Saikia, learned Standing Counsel, Excise Department for the respondent nos. 1 and 3; and Ms. S. Sharma, learned Junior Government Advocate, Assam for the respondent no. 2.

(2.) Considering the grievances expressed by the petitioner in this writ petition, this Court deems it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition at the motion stage itself.

(3.) The petitioner has claimed to be the President of Damra Anchalik Rabha Students Union, Damra and an inhabitant of the locality at Damara. Having come to learn that the respondents authorities in the Excise Department have allowed the respondent no. 4 to open an Indian Made Foreign Liquor [IMFL] shop in the locality of Damara Mendi Pather Road, Village - Damara, local people in large numbers and a number of local organisations held a public meeting at the office of the Damra Anchalik Rabha Students Union on 1/9/2021. At the said public meeting held in presence of substantial number of local people, the local people had expressed an apprehension of breach in the locality in the event of location any IMFL shop in the locality, as the locality is in the border region of Assam and Meghalaya and it falls in a rural area. According to the petitioner, the local people and a number of public organisations under the aegis of All Rabha Students' Union had submitted a representation before the respondent no. 2 on 2/9/2021 opposing the opening of the IMFL shop in their locality. The grievance of the petitioner is that despite submission of the said representation, the respondent no. 2 has not disposed of the said representation after hearing the persons from the locality where the proposed IMFL shop is going to be located.