New Delhi, March 30: The Supreme Court has ruled that a citizen has no fundamental right to engage in the sale of liquor as government alone has the right to regulate the business in public interest.
A bench of Justices R V Raveendran and Surinder Singh Nijjar said the government also has the right to consider grant of licenses as per the rules in force and not at the time when the applications are made for running the business.
“Having regard to the fact that the state has exclusive privilege to manufacture and sale of liquor and no citizen has a fundamental right to carry on trade or business in liquor, the applicant did not have a vested right to get a licence.
“Where there is no vested right, the application for licence requires verification, inspection and processing.
–Agencies