CHENNAI: The State government on Thursday created a separate Ministry for Prohibition and Excise, appointing a dedicated minister to oversee the department and the operations of the State-run liquor retailer, Tasmac, as part of a major administrative overhaul of the liquor administration system.
The move came as part of the Cabinet expansion led by Chief Minister Vijay, who had repeatedly criticised alleged irregularities in Tasmac operations during the Assembly election campaign, including claims that customers were overcharged beyond the printed maximum retail price.
Vijay had also targeted former Minister V Senthilbalaji over allegations that Tasmac outlets charged consumers an additional Rs 10 per liquor bottle.
Government sources said the decision to carve out an exclusive Prohibition and Excise portfolio was aimed at strengthening monitoring mechanisms and curbing irregularities in liquor sales across the State.
Traditionally, the department had been handled as an additional charge by senior ministers overseeing portfolios such as Transport or Electricity.
Tamil Nadu currently has around 4,765 Tasmac liquor outlets, though the number is expected to reduce to nearly 4,048 following the government’s recent closure drive.
Officials recalled that the Excise Department was earlier administered under the Commercial Taxes Department through Board-level supervision before a separate Prohibition and Excise Department was formally constituted in 1981.
The State later granted Tasmac exclusive retail vending rights for Indian-made foreign spirits (IMFS) from November 11, 2003, to curb illicit liquor sales and increase State revenue.
In another key portfolio reshuffle, the Poverty Alleviation and Rural Indebtedness Department, initially allotted to Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N Anand, has now been brought under Chief Minister Vijay.
The department oversees women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and programmes implemented by the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women, making it a significant portfolio focused on women’s welfare and rural empowerment.