NEW DELHI: The power of the states to regulate industrial alcohol is plenary and cannot be trampled by the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on Thursday while emphasising that the term “intoxicating liquor” should be given a wider meaning to include industrial alcohol and should be brought within the ambit of the states’ law-making power.
Senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi told a nine-judge Constitution bench headed by CJI D Y Chandrachud that all liquids containing alcohol come within the ambit of “intoxicating liquor”.
“The legislative history clearly shows that the words ‘intoxicating liquor’ are wide enough to include industrial alcohol and all the liquids consisting of alcohol,” it added.
“The word ‘intoxicating’ can mean both (a) capable of causing intoxication or has the potentiality for it and (b) causes intoxication when had as it is, namely as beverage. Both the aspects should fall under Entry 8 to include ‘all liquids containing alcohols’,” Dwivedi told the bench.”