CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday ordered the closure of 717 retail liquor shops located within 500 metres of educational institutions, places of worship, and bus depots across Tamil Nadu.
The move comes days after the state government announced 200 units of free electricity once every two months for domestic consumers with power consumption of up to 500 units.
According to a Government Order (GO) accessed by The New Indian Express, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) currently operates 4,765 retail liquor outlets across the state.
Of the 717 outlets identified for closure, 276 shops are located near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus depots.
The GO stated that the identified outlets would be shut within a couple of weeks in the interest of public welfare.
Official sources added that the government has also instructed authorities to ensure that no alternative liquor outlets are opened within the restricted zones.
Earlier, restrictions mandated the closure of liquor shops situated within 50 metres of educational institutions and places of worship in urban areas and within 100 metres in rural areas. The latest order has now extended the restriction limit to 500 metres.
