New Delhi, August 16
The Supreme Court today ordered the listing of Punjab's liquor vends auction case on August 23 after counsel for the parties, which had challenged the auction, made a plea for early hearing of the matter in a special mention.
Accepting the plea of counsel Ranjit Kumar that the case be listed for early hearing as pleadings in the matter were complete, a Bench of Mr Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Mr Justice A. R. Lakshmanan ordered its listing on Monday next.
The Punjab Government had filed an appeal in the apex court challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order quashing liquor vend auctions in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr after some prospective contractors had challenged the bids on the ground that there was no fair play.
Following this, other petitioners who had challenged the auctions in other districts as well, had also moved the apex court, which had clubbed all related petitions for hearing together.
The apex court on April 2 had refused to stay the High Court order but continued the interim arrangement made by it under which the vendors who had the contract last year would continue to sell liquor in the three districts till further order.
The state government had challenged the High Court order on the ground that the auctions in the three districts had been conducted as per the excise rules and the allegations of any foul play were baseless.
It had also stated that the High Court order quashing the auctions would cause the state irreparable revenue loss.
