Madras High Court orders closure of TASMAC liquor outlets in Tamil Nadu, permits online sale

New Delhi: The Madras High Court on Friday (May 8) ordered the closure of state-run TASMAC liquor outlets across Tamil Nadu in the wake of violations of social distancing norms amid COVID-19 lockdown. The High Court, however, permitted online sale of liquor.

The court permitted liquor shops to open only under certain conditions and warned them against violation of norms.

The Tamil Nadu government on May 4 had announced that the state-run TASMAC liquor stores will be opened in non-containment zones from May 7. These outlets were being opened as the neighbouring states of Andhra and Karnataka opened their liquor stores and residents from Chennai and other bordering districts were crossing over to get alcohol.

On May 6, the High Court had refused to stay the decision of the Tamil Nadu government’s to re-open state-run TASMAC liquor outlets. The decision was applicable for the whole state except for the shops falling under the Chennai City Police limits.

Some liquor outlets got a fresh coat of paint while the barricades were built to control and organise the crowd. The stock of liquor bottles safely stored away from the shops - where bottles were stolen in large numbers - were transported in trucks back to the shops.

The government had ordered social distancing of six feet to be maintained between two persons standing in the queue.

It also came out with liquor sales timings for different age groups - those over 50 years of age can buy from 10 am to 1 pm, those in the age group 40-50 between 1 pm to 3 pm and for below 40 years of age, between 3 pm and 5 pm.

Earlier in the day, a scuffle broke out between protestors including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers and Police in Madurai during an agitation against the state government`s decision to open liquor shops amid lockdown.

Women were leading the protest and some joined the protest with their children. On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government had announced the opening of TASMAC outlets (state-run liquor shops) in all areas except in containment zones. 

DMK and its allies had on May 6 released a joint statement, announcing that they will wear black as a symbol of protest and raise slogans against the state and central governments "on their failure in handling COVID-19 situation".

"Condemning the opening of the liquor shops, we are going to wear black tomorrow in our respective homes at 10 am and raise slogans against AIADMK government saying `AIADMK government has failed in curtailing coronavirus`," the statement had said. 

According to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, a total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state stands at 600. Of these cases, 405 are male and 195 are female patients. Chennai has reported 399 COVID-19 positive cases today, he told media. 

(With Agency Inputs)