Chennai: In a major crackdown on liquor access across Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC outlets located near places of worship, schools and bus stands, signalling one of the state’s biggest moves yet in response to growing public anger over alcohol sales.
Vijay was sworn in as the CM of Tamil Nadu after his party, TVK, won the April 23 Assembly polls and secured outside support to cross the majority mark of 118 seats.
Considering the welfare of the public, Vijay issued orders to shut down the retail liquor outlets located within a 500m radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations within two weeks, an official release said.
Accordingly, 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 shops near educational institutions, and 255 outlets near bus stands will be closed within the next two weeks, it said.
There has been widespread demand, especially from women and a few political parties in the state, that all the liquor shops in the state should be closed.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) operates 4,765 retail liquor outlets across the state.
To instil confidence among women and enhance their safety, a ‘Singa Pen Special Action Force’ equipped with adequate personnel and state-of-the-art facilities will be established across the state.
‘Singa Pen’ literally means ‘lioness’ but is commonly used to describe a brave woman.
A state government release said the initiative would enable swift and appropriate action on complaints related to women’s safety.
Similarly, to curb drug-related crimes in Tamil Nadu and take stringent action against offenders, a total of 65 ‘Anti-Narcotic Task Force’ units will be established.
One unit will be set up in each district, while the remaining units will be established in police districts across nine major cities in the state.
