Country liquor, now in bottles

Ranchi, April 30: Jharkhand High Court today gave its assent to the state government on supplying country-made liquor in glass bottles.
The court also consented to the bottling of liquor through semi-automated plants instead of automated bottling plants.
While disposing the public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the rules under the Jharkhand Country Liquor Bottling Rules of 2004, the court said, private parties, who run a semi-automated plant could bottle government liquor.
Sudhir Kumar initially filed the PIL. The government had also changed a few rules and had decided to use glass bottles instead of plastic pouches, which were used earlier.
The rules were framed because selling liquor in pouches was unhygienic and as liquor could get contaminated easily.
The rules, however, could not be implemented earlier due to the model code of conduct clamped before the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004.
The rules had, however, come into force from April 1, 2004, said the counsel of the petitioner.
According to rules, the bottles, which would be used to fill country liquor, have to be transparent with a round bottom.
The rules further said new bottles should have a long neck and have to be manufactured from an automated unit.
The state government had altered the criteria and decided to use transparent and white bottles only, which was challenged in court.
The court had earlier clamped a stay on the state’s decision to alter the criteria of bottles, which will be used for bottling country liquor.
Meanwhile, an intervention petition was also filed by Baidyanath Glasswork Private Limited, a glass bottle manufacturing company based in Madhupur. It said the decision of the state to have bottles manufactured by automatic plants would be biased.
The court, after going through the case, observed that bottling of country liquor could also be carried out at a semi-automatic plant.
The court, however, accepted the other rules regarding the quality and transparency of glass bottles.
Thursday , May 1 , 2008
OUR CORRESPONDENT
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