Newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 government-run TASMAC liquor retail outlets located within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations in the State, within two weeks, in the interest of public welfare.
"With the welfare of the general public in mind, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has issued orders to close--within two weeks--717 retail liquor shops situated within a 500-meter radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands,” a press release said.
“Currently, 4,765 retail liquor shops are being operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation,” it added.
“From among these, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, issued directives to conduct a survey and identify those shops located within a 500-meter radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands,” the press release read.
“In accordance with the aforementioned order, it was identified that 717 retail liquor shops are currently operating within these three specified categories,” it further added.
"Taking public welfare into consideration, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has ordered the closure--within the next two weeks--of a total of 717 retail liquor shops, comprising 276 shops located near places of worship, 186 shops near educational institutions, and 255 shops near bus stands," the release added.
Although TASMAC liquor shops make up for high revenue for the Tamil Nadu government, there have been calls across party lines to close several of these retail outlets.
The TASMAC has also come under the probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Last year, the probe agency had conducted raids at multiple premises across Tamil Nadu in connection with alleged offences related to Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) and associated entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in its manifesto has also promised a drug-free Tamil Nadu.