Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday ordered the closure of 717 government-run TASMAC liquor retail outlets located within a 500-meter radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations, within two weeks.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation currently operates 4,765 retail liquor outlets, the State said in a release. “In this context, the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, issued orders to conduct an inspection to identify those outlets situated within a radius of 500 meters from places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. Pursuant to the aforementioned directive, it was identified that 717 retail liquor outlets fall under these three specific categories,” it added.
Prioritising the welfare of the general public, the CM has issued orders to close a total of 717 retail liquor outlets—comprising 276 outlets located near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands—within the next two weeks, it noted.
Published on May 12, 2026