Tamil Nadu to shut down 500 TASMAC liquor shops from 22 June onwards, Opposition lauds move

Tamil Nadu government's Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has announced that a total of 500 liquor shops will be closed down from 22 June onwards in parlance with a Government Order (GO)  that had been issued earlier. Notably the order was issued by now arrested DMK minister V Senthil Balaji when he held the Excise portfolio in April this year. 

Out of the 5,329 retail liquor outlets across the state (as on 31 March, 2023), 500 shops would be identified and closed down, he had told the state Assembly on April 12.

TASMAC recalled the Assembly announcement made then "on the directions of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and said a Government Order (GO) was subsequently issued dated 20 April 2023.

Minister V Senthil Balaji, who had made the announcement in the House in April this year, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges, and he underwent a cardiac surgery on Wednesday. 

The GO pertained to identifying 500 retail liquor outlets and closing them, it said. "In order to implement the GO, it has been directed to identify 500 retail outlets across the state and close them from June 22, 20223 onwards."

"Based on that, the said 500 retail outlets will not function from June 22," a TASMAC statement said.

TASMAC runs an alcoholic beverages retail chain in the state.

The move by the Tamil Nadu government has been applauded by Opposition Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). The political party also urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to implement prohibition in the state.

The PMK, a strong proponent of a dry state, called for time-bound closure of the rest of the shops as well.

"Although delayed, this is welcome. The Chief Minister had promised implementation of prohibition in phased manner and this (closure of 500 shops) should be the start for that journey," PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said in a tweet.

Tamil Nadu's news comes a day after Delhi's customs officials have destroyed 1,289 units of liquor bottles and 51.68 kg of drugs at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). Following this, people have wittily reacted to the news report expressing disappointment for not re-selling it.

"Delhi Airport Customs disposed of 1289 units of liquor bottles of different brands pertaining to Lost Property/Detained goods at Terminal-3, IGI Airport, New Delhi over the period April 2020 to December 2022, by destruction on 19.06.2023," they said.