Public Interest Litigation Filed in Madras High Court Challenging Online Liquor Booking and QR Code Collection in Tamil Nadu A legal petition filed in the Madras High Court challenges TASMAC's newly launched online alcohol booking facility in Tamil Nadu. The PIL highlights critical flaws in age verification and QR code transfers while seeking an immediate stay on digital liquor collection. The newly introduced digital reservation mechanism for alcohol procurement in Tamil Nadu has run into legal hurdles. A public interest litigation (PIL) has been presented before the Madras High Court challenging the online liquor booking facility launched by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). Submitted by Advocate K. Balu, President of the Advocates Forum for Social Justice, the petition calls for an immediate halt to the system that enables customers to reserve alcohol online and collect it using quick response (QR) codes at retail counters. The petitioner contends that rather than exercising strict control over alcohol availability, the administration is simplifying procurement through digital platforms. Mechanism of Online Liquor Booking and QR Code Pickup Under the system initiated by TASMAC, buyers who are 21 years of age or older are granted access to an online portal to review real-time stock levels across retail outlets. Users can check the availability of specific alcohol brands alongside their official retail prices at different stores. After selecting their required items, buyers complete the transaction by making a digital payment through the portal. Once the payment is confirmed, the portal generates a digital booking record containing a unique QR code. The framework explicitly excludes home delivery services, meaning alcohol is not dispatched to residential addresses. Customers must physically visit the designated TASMAC retail shop and present the QR code at the counter to collect their reserved bottles. Concerns Over Age Verification Flaws and QR Code Misuse The PIL raises significant concerns regarding the verification protocols governing the online portal. Current age verification relies primarily on self-declarations and one-time password (OTP) authentication sent to mobile numbers. The petitioner argues that these basic digital checks are entirely inadequate for verifying a buyer's true age and fail to prevent minors from obtaining alcohol. The petition highlights that underage individuals could easily utilize an account created by an adult relative or acquaintance to place online orders. Furthermore, the petition points out a major vulnerability regarding code transferability. Since retail staff hand over bottles upon scanning the QR code, anyone holding the code can retrieve the order from the counter, allowing unauthorized individuals or minors to collect alcohol without secondary identity verification. Procedural Lapses and Unamended Retail Vending Rules The legal challenge also targets a departmental circular issued by TASMAC on August 7. According to the petition, the state corporation introduced the online liquor booking framework without making necessary statutory amendments to the Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (in Shops and Bars) Rules, 2003. The petitioner emphasizes that state liquor statutes are designed to strictly regulate the distribution, vending, and consumption of alcohol. Launching an online reservation mechanism solely through administrative instructions, without modifying the underlying statutory rules, violates procedural norms and statutory intent. Constitutional Mandate Under Article 47 and State Obligations The petition places strong emphasis on the constitutional obligations enshrined in Article 47 of the Constitution of India. Article 47 directs the state to make continuous efforts to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people, improve public health, and bring about the prohibition of intoxicating drinks that are harmful to health. The PIL asserts that building digital platforms to facilitate easier alcohol purchasing directly conflicts with this constitutional mandate. The petitioner questions why the state is implementing digital systems that streamline liquor access when its constitutional objective requires working toward regulating and curbing alcohol consumption. Challenges to the Revenue Augmentation Committee Mandate The scope of the PIL extends beyond online bookings to challenge broader revenue policies. The petition contests specific provisions of a Government Order issued on July 24 that constituted a specialized Revenue Augmentation Committee. This committee was tasked with recommending regulatory and tax policy modifications aimed at maximizing state revenues from the sale of alcohol meant for human consumption. The petitioner argues that devising strategies to inflate state revenues through alcohol sales directly contradicts the welfare duties entrusted to the state under Article 47 of the Constitution. Sales Figures of Rs 20 Lakh and Staffing Strain at Outlets Data cited within the PIL reveals that within the first two days of launching the online portal, between August 8 and August 9, liquor worth approximately Rs 20 lakh was sold digitally. The petitioner also brings attention to operational difficulties faced by TASMAC personnel. Retail outlets are already operating under severe staffing shortages, and managing online bookings alongside counter sales and QR code verifications imposes excessive operational pressure on store workers. Additionally, the petition warns that sudden gatherings of online buyers at retail counters could trigger overcrowding and lead to localized law-and-order disruptions. Relief Sought Before the Court and Legal Representation The petitioner has requested the Madras High Court to issue an interim stay restraining TASMAC from operating the online liquor booking portal and dispensing alcohol through QR code collections. The PIL further seeks a declaration that the online booking scheme and the revenue-boosting objectives assigned to the committee are unconstitutional, as they violate the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937 and Article 47 of the Constitution of India. Advocates M.R. Elavarasan and V. Sivaraman are representing the petitioner in the High Court proceedings. What this means for you • Across India: The legal petition highlights emerging debates over the legal and constitutional limits of digitizing state liquor sales. • In Tamil Nadu: Customers reserving liquor online and personnel at TASMAC retail outlets face direct operational impacts depending on the court's order. Questions & Answers 1. Why has a PIL been filed in the Madras High Court? The PIL seeks an immediate stay on TASMAC's newly launched online liquor booking system and QR code-based pickup process in Tamil Nadu. 2. How does the online liquor booking system operate? Customers aged 21 or older check stock and prices online, make digital payments, and receive a QR code to collect reserved bottles at a TASMAC store. 3. Does the TASMAC online system provide home delivery of alcohol? No, the system does not include home delivery. Customers must physically visit the store to collect their ordered liquor using the QR code. 4. What major security concerns were raised regarding the QR code pickup? The petition states that OTP-based age verification is inadequate for stopping minors and that anyone holding the QR code can collect the liquor from the counter. 5. What sales figures were reported during the initial two days of launch? The petition claims that liquor worth approximately Rs 20 lakh was sold through the online portal between August 8 and August 9. https://trendkia.com/en/national/tamil-nadu-men-tasmac-ki-nalaina-sharaba-bukinga-aura-qr-code-pranali-para-roka-ki-manga-madras-high-court-men-janahita-yachika-16580 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.