Bengal BJP MLAs suspended for the rest of budget session for creating disturbance during Guv speech
Kolkata(PTI): BJP lawmakers Sudip Mukhopadhyay and Mihir Goswami were on Wednesday suspended from attending the West Bengal assembly for the rest of the budget session for creating disturbances in the House during Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's inaugural speech.
The motion was brought by the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee seeking the suspension of the BJP MLAs for the rest of the current session of the House and was put to vote by Speaker Biman Banerjee.
Moving the motion in the Assembly, Chatterjee said that Goswami, who represents Natabari and Mukhopadhyay, who is the Purulia MLA, had indulged in slogan shouting , waving placards and creating disturbance during the governor's address on March 7.
The motion was passed by voice vote.
The governor had on that day tabled his address after reading the first and last lines of his speech in the midst of the din created by the opposition BJP.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
