Residents including women and traders and devotees of Arunachaleswara temple in Tiruvannamalai and Vellore have been demanding permanent closure of the existing outlets of Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) near Girivalam Path and schools due to public nuisance.

Residents said that the existing TASMAC outlet at Kamaraj statue near the 14 km-long Girivalam Path in Tiruvannamalai town has been functioning for many years despite objections by locals and devotees from neighbouring districts and States. “Such TASMAC outlets should be located on the outskirts of Tiruvannamalai, a temple town. The District Collector should ensure the outlet has been relocated away from the town immediately,” said B. Vasanthi, a resident.

The demand for closure of the outlet especially near Girivalam Path comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay directed authorities to shut down 717 TASMAC liquor outlets located within 500 metres of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stands across the state in two weeks.

Residents said many devotees, who are mostly women and senior citizens, come from faraway places to worship at Arunachaleswara temple. They also ensure that they cover Girivalam Path during their visit. As per estimates, on an average, the town witnesses at least 40,000 visitors during weekdays while the footfall increases to around 1.5 lakh on weekends and holidays. 

Most devotees prefer to travel in the town by foot. The existing TASMAC outlet near Kamaraj statue allows them to detour at least one kilometre to walk on Girivalam path. They are also scared to use the stretch near the outlet due to public nuisance by tipplers, who sleep on the footpath along the stretch. 

In Vengaikaal village near Tiruvannamalai Collectorate office, a TASMAC outlet has been functioning for more than a decade near a private higher secondary school. Residents and parents have been demanding relocation of the outlet.

Neighbouring Vellore - Ranipet districts, Tirivalam, a border village, has closed a TASMAC outlet in Mettupalayam hamlet on May 13 as part of State-wide closure of such shops near schools.

As a result, residents said that the outlet in Kugaiyanallore hamlet got overcrowded with tipplers for the past few days. Students, teachers and working women have to use E.B. Koot Road in Kugaiyanallore where the outlet is located has been using the stretch to go to government schools and industrial units for many years. Residents have sought relocation of the outlet to prevent overcrowding of tipplers in the area.

Agitated residents said that there were several recent incidents in the area where inebriated people from nearby TASMAC outlets were caught attacking innocent people. Many times, drunk people were found lying on the stretch, affecting traffic movement on the route. Drunk people will also engage in petty fights with locals in the area.