COIMBATORE: Minister for Prohibition and Excise K Vignesh on Thursday said that tenders for Tasmac bars would be floated within a month and would include provision for establishing food courts inside, which will enable food safety department officials to conduct inspections and take action against sale of substandard items in the liquor outlets.
Addressing media persons after distributing education loans to students at a camp in Peelamedu, the minister said the step would regularise food sales in Tasmac bars.
On procurement from liquor firms, the minister said earlier governments had permitted purchases for a long period. “We have been in office only for 120 days, with over 1,400 days remaining. We will restructure the system,” he said.
He rejected allegations that orders were being given only to factories linked to the AIADMK or the DMK.
On action against FL-2 bars in Coimbatore, he said the usual practice is to suspend them for 30 or 60 days and then reopen them. He said FL-2 bars had been introduced for profit and that after regulating FL-1 liquor shops, his focus would shift to FL-2 outlets.