MADURAI/TENKASI/TIRUCHY/ COIMBATORE/THOOTHUKUDI: As the State got into the mood of electing their representatives in the urban local body elections, long queues and violation of social distancing norms were witnessed as hundreds thronged a TASMAC shop at Tirupparankundram in Madurai. The outlet was open as the area falls under rural jurisdiction. Liquor sale was banned from February 17 to 19 and on February 22, given the urban local body elections.
While many gathered at the TASMAC shop number 5410 in Tirupparankundram, the Austinpatti police rushed to the spot to control the crowd. Speaking to TNIE, Shyam Sundar, District Manager of TASMAC for the combined Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts said 31 out of 166 liquor shops functioned across the two districts on Saturday.
A serpentine queue was witnessed at a TASMAC liquor outlet in Mullupadi near Kinathukkadavu. Like Mullupadi, 14 other liquor outlets across Coimbatore remained open. Sources said the Kootampuli liquor shop saw a heavy rush. Thoothukudi police seized 1,000 liquor bottles from a hotel near the vegetable market roundabout as they were selling it for ‘black’.