Tamil Nadu Begins Shutting Down 500 Liquor Outlets From Today, Opposition Lauds Move

Now arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji had made the announcement in the House in April 2023 while he was holding the Excise portfolio.

Tamil Nadu begins shutting down 500 liquor outlets from today

Source : PTI Photo

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu government shut down 500 retail shops selling alcoholic beverages in the state from Thursday onwards, implementing a Government Order (GO) issued earlier for their closure.

Now arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji had made the announcement in the House in April 2023 while he was holding the Excise portfolio.

Notably, Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month on money laundering charges and is currently hospitalised for a heart-related ailment. 

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

The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), which runs an alcoholic beverages retail chain in the state, 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 April 20, 2023.

The GO pertained to identifying 500 retail liquor outlets and closing them, it said.

The TASMAC in a statement 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," it added.

Opposition Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a strong proponent of a dry state, welcomed the move and urged Stalin to implement prohibition in the state. It called for the time-bound closure of the rest of the shops as well.

தமிழ்நாட்டில் 500 மதுக்கடைகள் நாளை முதல் மூடப்படவிருப்பது வரவேற்கத்தக்கது; மீதமுள்ள மதுக்கடைகளையும் மூட கால அட்டவணை வெளியிட வேண்டும்!

தமிழ்நாட்டில் மொத்தமுள்ள 5329 மதுக்கடைகளில் 500 கடைகள் நாளை முதல் மூடப்படும் என்று டாஸ்மாக் நிறுவனம் அறிவித்திருக்கிறது. இது தாமதமானது…

— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) June 21, 2023

"Tasmac has announced that 500 of the total 5329 liquor shops in Tamil Nadu will be closed from tomorrow. This is a welcome step, albeit belated. Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had announced that complete prohibition of alcohol will be implemented in Tamil Nadu gradually. This should be the beginning of the journey towards it," PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said in a tweet.