Vijay orders closure of 717 Tasmac outlets: Stern action or sheer optics?

Tamil Nadu’s new Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (May 12) ordered the immediate closure of 717 state-run Tasmac liquor outlets located within 500 metres of educational institutions and places of worship.

The shops must be shut down within two weeks. This comes as the existing Tamil Nadu law already prohibits any new shop within 50 metres (in Municipal Corporations and Municipalities) and 100 metres (in other areas) from places of worship or educational institutions. The new government has expanded the buffer zone to 500 metres.

276 outlets near places of worship

The move was made with the public's welfare in mind, and Vijay issued orders to shut down the retail liquor outlets, according to an official release.

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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 such as the PMK, that all the liquor shops in the state should be closed and prohibition implemented.

Over 1,000 shops closed during Jayalalithaa’s tenure

During their tenures, the AIADMK government under J Jayalalithaa closed 1,168 TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) shops, while the DMK government under MK Stalin closed 500 TASMAC shops. Now, the TVK government under Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC shops in a single move.

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This strong step has sparked debate across political circles. BJP leader Vinoj welcomed the decision and AIADMK’s SP Velumani congratulated Vijay. VCK MLA Vanniyarasu also welcomed the move and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan extended support.

However, DMK and NTK criticised the announcement, calling it a PR activity, as many shops had already closed under the DMK government.

4,765 TASMAC shops in state

Tamil Nadu currently has a total of 4,765 TASMAC shops in the state. Tasmac reported a massive revenue of Rs 48,344 crore in the financial year 2024-25, registering a 5.4 per cent increase from the previous year.

With 717 shops closing, the big question now is how the government will manage and compensate for the expected revenue shortfall while maintaining its focus on public welfare. Will the government increase taxes on remaining shops or promote other revenue sources?

While the focus is on TASMAC shops, a big question remains unanswered: there are now more than 500 private FL1 and FL2 bars operating across the state. Are they at a safe distance from schools and places of worship? Will the government take similar action against private outlets?