RAM CHANDER Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE order will dispose of a bunch of 77 writ petitions, mainly raising the issue of validity of allotments of liquor vends for the years 2006-07, in the State of Haryana. 63 writ petitions (category I) being CWP Nos. 5939, 7198, 5679, 5692, 5709, 5717, 5911, 5912, 6007, 6008, 6009, 6010, 6027, 6029, 6030, 6210, 6211, 6212, 6213, 6339, 6538, 6601, 6711, 6727, 6733, 6737, 6742, 6743, 6746, 6753, 6757, 6760, 6761, 6783, 6940, 6951, 6952, 6953, 6954, 6961, 6964, 6984, 7182, 6214, 6215, 6216, 6217, 6218, 6219, 6220, 6221, 6236, 6237, 6249, 6253, 6254, 6264, 6265, 6267, 6276, 6277, 6305 and 5550 of 2006 challenge allotments of liquor vends on 31.3.2006; 11 writ petitions (category II) being CWP Nos. 5660, 5784, 5661, 5662, 2663, 5698, 5700, 5707, 5767, 6041, 6088 of 2006 challenge notice dated 11.4.2006 in respect of the liquor vends allotted on 31.3.2006 and three writ petitions (category III) being CWP Nos. 4853, 6266 and 6284 of 2006 are in the nature of public interest litigation, wherein apart from challenging allotments of liquor vends, an action is sought for not prescribing maximum retail price for sale of liquor in accordance with the provisions of the Standard of Weights and Measures Act, 1976. Since common questions are involved, all the petitions are disposed of by a common order.

(2.) FACTS brought on record are that the State of Haryana announced its excise policy for the year 2006-07 for allotment of licenses, inter alia, for retail outlets of country liquor (L-14-A) and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) - (L-2). The set of conditions and procedure have been annexed as Annexure P.1. The outer number of vends to be allotted was fixed for L-2 and L-14-A at 1600 and 2800 respectively.

(3.) AS per procedure of allotment, applications were to be received upto 11.3.2006. List of valid applications was to be displayed three days before the date of allotment, which was scheduled for 17.3.2006.