- Bench concludes hearings over liquor tender deadline extension
- Government defends decision as policy matter amid traders’ petition
The Telangana High Court has reserved its verdict in the case concerning the liquor shop tenders after completing hearings on Friday. The matter relates to a petition filed by five traders who challenged the state government’s decision to extend the application deadline for liquor shop tenders.
The petitioners argued that the extension was arbitrary and not backed by proper legal provisions.
During the hearing, the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Imran Khan presented arguments on behalf of the government. He informed the court that around 5,000 applications were received between October 18 and 23.
He further stated that the decision to extend the application deadline was purely a policy matter taken to ensure wider participation by traders. The government maintained that the extension was justified considering the disruptions caused by the recent BC bandh and bank bandh across the state.
After hearing the arguments, the court questioned the state on which rules were invoked to extend the tender deadline. In response, the AAG said that a written explanation would be submitted to clarify the government’s position.
The bench also noted that while the tender draw could proceed as planned on Monday, it must be done in line with the court’s forthcoming orders.
The Excise Department had earlier approached the court seeking approval for extending the tender submission deadline.
The move came after several complaints from applicants who said they were unable to submit forms due to the statewide bandhs. As of now, the process of accepting applications has concluded, and all eyes are on the High Court’s final verdict, which will determine the validity of the extended timeline for liquor tender applications in Telangana.
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