Shillong, March 27 -- The division bench of the Meghalaya High Court has struck down the state government's decision to reduce the profit margin of liquor retailers from 20 per cent to 15 per cent, noting that it is in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution as well as being arbitrary.
Adjudicating a writ petition filed by the East Khasi Hills Wine Dealers Welfare Association, the bench consisting of Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew and Justice Biswadeep Bhattacharjee, noted that the state cannot fund its new digital tracking system by unfairly slashing the profit margins of local wine dealers.
The petitioners challenged the introduction of the Integrated Excise Management System (IEMS), a digital track-and-trace mechanism involving ...