SLAMS ‘PUBLICITY’ PLEA

HC dismisses PIL seeking dry days on public holidays

---

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

13.01.2022

Chennai: Warning a PIL-petitioner of exemplary costs, the Madras high court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking to declare all public holidays as dry days in Tamil Nadu.

Making it clear that courts cannot interfere in administrative matters, the first bench of acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P D Audikesavalu warned B Ramkumar Adityan that it would be constrained to impose exemplary cost for moving such pleas for publicity. According to the petitioner, though the government orders (GO) declaring public holidays clearly states that it applies to all state government undertakings, corporations and boards, Tasmac shops which are also owned by the state do not shut shops on such holidays.

Therefore, as an interim measure the petitioner wanted the court to direct the state government to shut Tasmac shops during the Pongal holidays from January 14 to 18.