Chennai, May 12 (V7N) — Thalapathy Joseph Vijay, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has directed the closure and relocation of 717 state-run liquor shops operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), according to a government statement issued on Tuesday (May 12).
The directive applies to outlets located within 500 meters of mosques, temples, educational institutions, and bus stands. The government has instructed that these shops be shut down or relocated within the next two weeks.
According to official figures, TASMAC currently operates 4,765 retail liquor shops across the state. Of them, 276 are located near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands.
The statement said the decision was taken in consideration of public welfare and long-standing demands from various political groups.
Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation reportedly generated more than ₹48,000 crore in revenue in 2025, making it one of the state’s largest revenue sources.
Analysts, however, suggest that the large-scale shutdown of outlets could create short-term fiscal pressure on the state government, given the significance of liquor revenue in the state budget.
The move is being described as one of the first major policy decisions of Vijay’s administration following the recent assembly election victory of his party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam.
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