Liquor sale in Tasmac to be cut by 2 hrs, shops to be closed at 8pm instead of 10 pm

While liquor sales currently in Tasmac outlets in the State begin at 12 noon and end at 10 pm-even during the weekends, it is likely to change in the future, with the liquor shops proposed to down shutters early at 8 pm instead.

A senior Tasmac official told DT Next that a series of high-level meetings were recently held, involving officials from the Excise department, to discuss ways to reschedule liquor sales.

“Earlier, it was decided to curtail the timing of liquor sales by opening the shops at 2 pm instead of 12 noon presently followed. However, following complaints that crimes are on the rise, especially during the nights due to consumption of liquor by the public, it has been decided to close the liquor shops at 8 pm instead of 10 pm,” the official said.

The official added the decision to reduce sales timings also came against the backdrop of suggestions from the Madras High Court to reduce the duration of the functioning of Tasmac retail vending outlets.

Stating that the Excise department’s decision to reduce the timing is only provisional, the official added, “A final decision will be arrived at only during the State Cabinet meeting and then the government order would be issued”.

Claiming that the move to reduce the timing of liquor sales in the State will cost the exchequer around Rs 100 crore per month, the Tasmac official said losses incurred might be compensated by setting up new shops in permitted areas without public outcry.

At present, the total revenue from liquor sales per year in Tamil Nadu is Rs 26,700 crore. Tasmac, currently the monopoly agency in selling liquor across the State, has around 4,000 retail vending shops and 1,400 bars attached to these outlets.

When the AIADMK came to power in 2016, the late Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, as part of keeping her party’s poll promise and assurance to people of total prohibition, had ordered the closure of 500 liquor shops. When Edappadi K Palaniswami took over as Chief Minister in 2017, he had also said that 500 liquor shops would close down in Tamil Nadu.