Tamil Nadu government confirms permanent closure of shuttered TASMAC liquor outlets

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Electricity and Law Minister Nirmal Kumar announced that state-run retail liquor outlets managed by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) that have been shuttered will remain permanently closed.

Addressing journalists at the Secretariat in Chennai, Kumar asserted that localised demonstrations regarding agrarian loans were being orchestrated under the incitement of the opposition DMK. He emphasised that public attention should instead be directed toward the volume of beneficiaries under the state's crop loan program.

The minister added that the chief minister continues to advocate daily for agricultural welfare and indicated that an official government order codifying the crop loan provisions would be enacted imminently.

Turning to public health logistics, the minister reported that comprehensive data regarding personnel vacancies and medical equipment deficits within state-operated hospitals is undergoing active assessment and compilation.

Kumar also addressed a prior administrative matter involving an unfulfilled meeting with AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami. He clarified that while an official appointment had been formally requested to convene with Palaniswami, administration officials subsequently determined that such an encounter would be politically incongruous given prevailing regional circumstances.

According to Kumar, public grievance assemblies will be administered on a recurring schedule, noting that the chief minister maintains regular direct interactions with the electorate. He further remarked that the chief minister consistently maintains a respectful public demeanour.

Regarding regional law enforcement, Kumar stated that judicial and police authorities execute immediate interventions following any criminal infraction. He alleged that processing times for prosecutions involving sexual offences encountered systemic delays during the preceding gubernatorial administration. Under current directives, police operations are moving expeditiously, a shift Kumar claimed has drawn formal expressions of appreciation from civilian groups.

The minister stated that any commercial drinking establishments operating outside regulatory frameworks are closed immediately upon the filing of an official complaint, asserting that unlawful operations are being curbed systematically. He challenged political opponents to identify any active sites of illicit quarrying or unpermitted commercial truck operations within the state.

In reviewing the power grid, Kumar reported a rise in public satisfaction regarding state electricity services, citing a substantial reduction in rotational power outages. He attributed the operational stabilisation to structural modifications introduced within the Minnagam digital electricity service framework.

In his evaluation of opposition politics, Kumar remarked that Edappadi Palaniswami must first reconcile internal factionalism within his own organisation, alleging that Palaniswami’s leadership has structurally diluted and hollowed out the AIADMK. He further claimed that Palaniswami had historically explored a governmental coalition with DMK leader M.K. Stalin, asserting the alliance was pursued to shield his immediate family from external scrutiny.

The minister observed that numerous AIADMK party functionaries, seeking an alternative to the DMK, are increasingly shifting allegiance toward the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Kumar characterised the emerging political entity as a viable counterweight positioned to contest the ruling party.

Delivering a critique of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran, Kumar recalled that Dhinakaran had previously asserted he would prefer capital punishment over a political alignment with Edappadi Palaniswami, despite their current shared platform. Kumar concluded that Dhinakaran should formally withdraw from public life.

Reiterating the state's commercial liquor policy, the minister concluded by reinforcing that previously closed TASMAC dispensaries will not resume operations under any administrative circumstances.

With inputs from ANI