Tamil Nadu: 114 Tasmac shops to be closed down for three days

Nearly 114 Tasmac wine shops across Chennai, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts have been ordered to be closed down for the next three days (including today) owing to the commencement of rural local body elections in Chengalpet and Kancheepuram districts.

As per a report by TOI, bars attached to clubs and hotels, pubs and standalone bars shall not be allowed to serve liquor in the respective areas on the specified dates either. The rules reportedly state that “liquor shops and bars with FL2 to FL11 licences should remain closed for two days ahead of the local body elections in the respective pockets and within five kilometres of radius, where the polls are held.” TASMAC shops located near Vandalur might be shut down until Saturday as the polls are reportedly conducted in two phases in the area on Wednesday and Friday.

An official press release from the Chennai collectorate had earlier stated that “all Tasmac liquor retail vending shops and are clubs having FL2 licences to serve liquor, FL3 bars in hotels, FL3 (A) licenced Tamil Nadu Tourism Hotel Bar and FL3(AA)/FL11 in Chennai are ordered to be closed on October 2 and 19, in view of Gandhi Jayanti and  Milad-un-Nabi, respectively.