Chennai: Following Madras High Court’s order to close liquor shops in the State, TASMAC Managing Director R Kirlosh Kumar has directed employees to maintatin strict vigil at wine outlets.
“All the District Managers are directed to ensure that the shops shutters are properly locked, sealed welded and ensure that there are no room for any theft attempts at shops,” he said in an order.
“Further, all the District Managers are directed to keep vigil and ensure that there are no illegal sale of liquor during this period and to coordinate with Prohibition Enforcement Wing Officials in the district and ensure that no untoward incidents are taking place,” he said.
The Madras High Court on Friday ordered closure of all state-run liquor outlets in Tamilnadu, a day after they reopened following easing of Covid-19 lockdown curbs, saying there was total violation of guidelines, but allowed door delivery through online mode.
Noting that there were huge crowds before the shops and no social distancing was maintained, a bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and Pushpa Satyanarayana passed the order on a miscellaneous petition filed by advocate G Rajesh, besides a plaint from Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).
The bench said there was total violation of its interim order issued on Wednesday, when it declined to stay a government order allowing resumption of sale of Liquor through the latter”s outlets. Besides the guidelines issued by the state government and the TASMAC, the sole retailer of liquor in Tamilnadu, were also violated, it said.
However, the court allowed online sale of liquor and door delivery till the lockdown to check spread of coronavirus was over. After a dry spell of 43 days due to the COVID-19 lockdown since 24 March, liquor sales resumed at the TASMAC outlets in Tamilnadu except Chennai on Thursday.