Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay Orders Closure of 717 Liquor Shops Near Temples, Schools and Bus Stands
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops located within 500 meters of temples, educational institutions, and bus stands within two weeks.
Prasanth Subramani
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor retail outlets located near places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands across the state.
According to the order issued by the Chief Minister, all liquor shops situated within a 500-meter radius of temples, schools, colleges, and bus terminals must be shut down within the next two weeks in the interest of public welfare.
In an official statement released by the Tamil Nadu government, it was stated that the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) currently operates 4,765 liquor retail outlets across the state.
Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had earlier directed officials to conduct a detailed survey and identify TASMAC outlets functioning close to religious places, educational institutions, and bus stands.
Following the inspection, authorities identified a total of 717 liquor shops operating within the restricted zones.
The government statement further revealed the category-wise breakup of the shops ordered for closure:
- 276 liquor shops located near places of worship
- 186 liquor shops situated near educational institutions
- 255 liquor shops functioning close to bus stands
The Tamil Nadu government stated that the decision was taken keeping public welfare and social concerns in mind.
The move is expected to become one of the major policy decisions of the newly formed government under Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.
