New Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 government liquor shops located within 500 meters of temples, schools, hospitals and bus stands across the state. These shops are managed by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation TASMAC.
A government order said that liquor shops near all educational institutions, hospitals, religious places and bus stands in the state must be closed within two weeks. This is the first major order of victory.
The move comes amid a commitment to prioritize social welfare and public interest. “Keeping in mind the welfare of the general public, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 liquor retail shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, bus stands within two weeks,” an official order issued by the chief minister’s office said.
“TASMEC currently operates 4,765 liquor shops in the state. Of these, 276 are near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 near bus stands,” the government said. TASMAC liquor sales contribute a significant portion of the state’s revenue. In 2025, the total revenue was over Rs 48,000 crore. This is the first major step towards the promise of a ‘drug-free’ Tamil Nadu victory.
Tasmac shops were under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ahead of the April assembly elections. Last year, the central agency had conducted raids at several locations in the state on allegations of money laundering by the corporation and its associates. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was in power at that time. The government took the matter to the Supreme Court. In May last year, the court expressed strong displeasure over the jurisdiction of the ED.
C. Joseph Vijay, popularly known as “Thalapathi” (Commander) among his fans, has overcome numerous hurdles to take over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. However, he now faces a bigger challenge in fulfilling his party’s election promises.
After taking charge on Sunday, Vijay made three announcements aimed at fulfilling his election promises. The first was to provide 200 units of free electricity per bill to household customers, but with a condition: the rebate was available only to those who used up to 500 units of electricity in a two-month billing cycle.
The announcement has sparked criticism on social media, with Vijay promising 200 units of free electricity to everyone but is now imposing conditions to get the facility. He faced many other challenges, particularly due to his own belief that the state was facing a substantial debt burden.
They promise to give every child born in Tamil Nadu a gold ring (Thai Mamman Thanga Mathiram Thittam – Mother’s Gold Ring Scheme) as a symbol of the government’s blessings. He also promised a ‘Baby Welcome Kit’, which includes nutritional materials and baby clothes.
Besides gold, the actor-politician promised high-quality silk sarees for poor brides and interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for women-led self-help groups. All eyes are now on fulfilling this promise.
post Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu big decision to win! Why closed 717 liquor stores in one order? appeared first Northeast Now (Assamese).
