Tamil Nadu has decided to re-open liquor shops in the state, from May 7 onwards. A notification issued by the government said all liquor shops in Tamil Nadu — alcohol retail in Tamil Nadu is wholly controlled by the state government through the state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) — will open their shutters from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
"Strict social distancing will be enforced at all TASMAC outlets," said a release from the Tamil Nadu government, "All patrons must maintain six-feet distance from each other, and only five patrons will be allowed into a TASMAC outlet at any given time."
Liquor shops in Tamil Nadu are a major revenue-contributor to the state, given the monopoly over alcohol retail that the government enjoys. In FY20, these TASMAC outlets contributed over Rs 30,000 crore in revenue to the Tamil Nadu government.
On March 24, the Tamil Nadu government decided to shut TASMAC outlets, in keeping with the COVID-19 crisis and the state’s decision to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 till March 31.
However, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls for an immediate lockdown, these liquor shops have stayed shut ever since. The state has reportedly suffered an estimated loss of Rs 3,500 crore during the closure.
First Published: May 4, 2020 8:01 PM IST
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