Minister for Housing and Urban Development, S. Muthusamy, who is additionally holding the portfolios of excise, prohibition and molasses, on Thursday, July 27, 2023 reiterated his claim that the Tamil Nadu government’s aim is not to increase sales at Tasmac liquor outlets, but to ensure shops function without problems. He was answering a question on the Madras High Court’s observation that the government, instead of implementing total prohibition, is encouraging liquor sales at Tasmac.
Addressing journalists after distributing free bicycles to class XI students in Erode, the Minister said, two approaches are needed in the State. “One, Tasmac liquor shops should function without problems and two, we should make people understand and discourage them from consuming liquor,” he said.
The Minister said that when a new person comes to a Tasmac shop, particularly, young person, supervisors would be asked to inform the department. “We would form a committee to counsel them about the ill effects of alcohol,” he said.
