On paper only? Tasmac liquor shops open despite after TN CM Vijay's order

Three days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay ordered the closure of 717 Tasmac (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited) liquor outlets across the state, many of the shops identified for shutdown continue to operate — with those running them saying they have not received official instructions.

'These are just rumours'

On May 12, the Tamil Nadu government announced the phased closure of the Tasmac liquor shops located near schools, temples, and bus stands. The order, signed by the chief minister, was presented as the first major step toward his poll campaign's promise of building an addiction-free Tamil Nadu.

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But on the ground, the picture is different. At a Tasmac establishment adjacent to a school in T. Nagar, Chennai, the person in charge said no orders had come their way.

"These are just rumours. There are no issues with students or the public. This is a well-run shop with all official permissions. If there were real problems, previous governments would have closed it already," he told The Federal.

A school official eagerly awaits after a long fight

The reality, however, is hurting those who are keen to see the shutdown getting effectively implemented. One of them is Bagalakumari Pillai, chairperson and correspondent of Shrine Vailankanni Senior Secondary School in T. Nagar.

A video of her went viral around the time of the order, in which she described fighting for nearly four decades to get the liquor outlet located next to her school closed. She said complaints were repeatedly sent to the Prohibition Enforcement Wing, the Chief Minister's Cell, and successive governments over the years — all in vain.

"I have given petitions many times to the previous government to close the liquor shop, but not sure if it reached the right people. Once when we complained, there were people throwing soda bottles and everything," Pillai said.

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She added that she had gone to the shop recently hoping it would be closed.

"Yesterday when I came near the shop, I asked a man closing the shop — 'Brother, is the shop closed?' He said it will be, so I thought something good was happening. I am appreciative of any government, but this government — and Mr. Honourable CM — I like it," she told The Federal.

Angry residents speak out

The frustration is not limited to school administrators. Local residents and daily commuters near the outlet say the situation has long been a hazard.

Auto driver Ganeshan, who works in the area, described the daily hardship, "This shop near the school is a problem for everyone. Drunkards lie around the auto stand, making our work difficult. We heard the CM is removing it; that would be a huge help."

Boban Mathew, a local resident, echoed the concern, noting the impact on women and children.

"It's a major disturbance for schoolchildren. Drunkards lie on the road, so women avoid this street. I thank the government, but they must act everywhere. Even when closed, liquor is sold illegally at double the price starting at 6 am. The CM must take stern action," he said.

Partial action in Coimbatore

The confusion is not limited to Chennai. In Coimbatore district, social activists had long demanded the relocation of four Tasmac shops operating near the local bus stand and the busy flower market stretch. On the day of the ground checking, only partial action had been taken. Tasmac outlet No. 1803, located beside the Mettupalayam bus stand wall, was shut after the staff completed stock inventory procedures, and customers who arrived were turned away. But three other Tasmac outlets in the same locality remained open.

Legal drinking age

The government has stated that the shutdowns will happen in phases over the next two weeks. Of the 717 outlets identified, 276 are located near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands.

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Alongside the closures, the government has also reiterated that the legal drinking age in Tamil Nadu is 21 years, and Tasmac employees have been instructed to verify age proof whenever there is doubt about a customer's age. A proposal to bring ahead Tasmac working hours from 10 pm to 8 pm is also under consideration, though no final decision has been announced.

Reform or revenue?

The closures come at a politically sensitive time for Tasmac. Over the past year, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids alleging money laundering and irregularities in liquor sales and tenders. The agency claimed it found manipulated tender data, unaccounted cash transactions, and illegal surcharges on liquor bottles. The previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government had dismissed the raids as political vendetta orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.

Despite repeated criticism over alcohol sales, that of Tasmac exceeded Rs 48,000 crore in FY25, recording a surge of nearly Rs 2,488 crore.

The latest move is being closely watched as a test of how far the new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government of Vijay is willing to go in balancing public pressure, health concerns, and its dependence on liquor revenue.

The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.