Supreme Court permits Bihar liquor companies to sell unsold stocks outside state

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted IMFL manufacturers in Bihar to sell their unsold stocks outside the state in view of the total prohibition imposed by the Nitish Kumar government.

The permission to sell Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) stocks lying in warehouses was granted when a vacation bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Deepak Gupta modified the Supreme Court`s May 29 order wherein draining and destruction of existing beer stocks was allowed. 

The May 29 order had led to extension in deadline for disposing the stocks to July 31. The two-month time granted earlier had ended on May 31. 

The court modified its order on an application by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), which sought permission to sell the unsold stocks outside Bihar.

The CIABC told the vacation bench that two applications were moved -- one by the IMFL manufacturers and the other by the association of beer-makers.

While IMFL manufacturers had sought time to send their stocks outside the state, the beer manufacturers had sought permission for draining and destroying their stocks. 

The CIABC said that while the May 29 Supreme Court order took care of beer manufacturers` plea, it was silent on their plea.

While the vacation bench modified its May 29 order, Bihar government`s counsel said the court should make it clear that no further extension in time would be given.