The Pune district administration has rolled back a planned 10-day alcohol ban during the Ganesh festival to just two days, following sharp rebukes from the Bombay High Court over the decision to single out the city.
Under the revised framework submitted to the court on Friday, liquor sales and consumption across Pune city will be restricted only until 4 p.m. on September 14, the opening day of Ganesh Chaturthi, and throughout September 25, the concluding day of Anant Chaturdashi, which is an existing dry day.
High Court Scrutiny Over Selective Prohibition
The decision came during a hearing by a division bench comprising Chief Justice M C Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna, which heard petitions filed by associations representing local hotel and wine shop owners challenging the Pune Collector’s blanket 10-day prohibition.
The judges questioned the rationale behind targeting Pune while other regions across the state, including Mumbai, faced no such restrictions. The bench noted that imposing arbitrary bans unfairly stigmatised Pune and its residents, observing that the city is widely regarded as educated and civilised. The court warned that it would formally step in if the administration failed to retract the order.
While acknowledging the administration’s responsibility to preserve public order and curb nuisances during festivities, the bench stated that authorities could not justify an outright commercial shutdown for licensed vendors. The judges observed that alcohol consumption does not automatically lead to law-and-order disruptions, adding that an extended prohibition would hurt state excise revenue and potentially create medical complications for dependent drinkers.
Following the bench’s observations in the morning session, Additional Government Pleader Kedar Dighe informed the court that the administration had agreed to curtail the restriction. The court accepted the submission and directed the Collector to issue a revised order reflecting the modified timeline.
Administrative Scope and Revised Timeline
The religious festival begins on September 14 with the ceremonial installation of idols and concludes on September 25 with immersion processions.
Clarifying the operational scope of the measures, Pune Excise Department Superintendent Atul Kande stated that the initial 10-day ban had applied only within the limits of three police stations: Faraskhana, Khadak, and Vishrambag. Kande confirmed that the administration will officially publish the amended directives upon receiving the formal High Court order, extending the shorter two-day prohibition across the entirety of Pune city.
Political Criticism Over Festival Restrictions
The controversy also drew political criticism earlier on Friday from Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant, who characterized the initial 10-day order as a reflection of expanding majoritarian politics over the past 12 years.
Sawant accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of utilizing government machinery and working with affiliated organizations to foster majoritarian policies since taking power at the Centre in 2014. He maintained that governmental decisions must balance majority community sentiments with safeguards for individual rights, personal freedoms, and minority communities.
