TN CM Vijay Orders Closure of 717 TASMAC Shops Near Schools, Temples and Bus Stands

Chennai: In a move citing public welfare, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has directed officials to shut down 717 TASMAC retail liquor shops functioning near educational institutions, places of worship and bus stands within the next two weeks.

According to a government release, the State-run TASMAC currently operates 4,765 retail liquor outlets across Tamil Nadu. Following the Chief Minister’s directive, a detailed review was conducted to identify shops located within a 500-metre radius of schools, colleges, temples, churches, mosques and bus stands.

The inspection found 276 shops near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 near bus stands, taking the total number of outlets marked for closure to 717.

The government stated that the decision was taken keeping public interest and social welfare in mind.

Notably, a similar exercise was carried out during the previous tenure under former Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, during which 500 liquor outlets functioning near places of worship and educational institutions were shut down by the Tamil Nadu government in 2023.