Tamil Nadu earns a whopping 40,000 crore revenue from sale of liquor.
The MK Stalin government has ordered closure of 500 liquor shops across Tamil Nadu from tomorrow, fulfilling its poll promise of moving towards a phased prohibition. Currently, the state has 5,329 government-owned liquor shops.
Tamil Nadu earns a whopping 40,000 crore revenue from sale of liquor. With Goods and Services Tax taking away powers of the states to levy tax, the state has been depending on liquor revenue to fund key projects.
At a liquor outlet in Chennai, Sivakumar who works as a housekeeping staff, welcomed the government decision. He wants total prohibition in the state.
"If I earn 500 rupees, I give only Rs 200 to my family. I use Rs 300 to drink. I am addicted. I am not able to provide for my family. I have a daughter," he told NDTV, breaking down.
Another customer added, "A lot of people are getting addicted to liquor. They get into major health issues. The big worry is children too start drinking seeing their parents".
Ali Bhai, a driver, said "Liquor can't be eradicated as it has become a universal menace. In Tamil Nadu, however, it has become a major menace. It ruins families".
The government has identified liquor outlets to be shut on basis of low sale, cluster of shops, shops near religious places and educational institutions, those public or property owners object to and those facing court cases.
61 shops will be shut in Chennai alone, while neighbouring Kancheepuram will shut 31 shops. Down south, 21 shops will be closed in Madurai. In the western part of the state, 20 shops will be closed in Coimbatore and 17 in Salem.
Experts also want the government to establish a large number of de-addiction and counselling centres.
Jayalalithaa began the phased closure of liquor shops in 2016. Successive state governments have been arguing that total prohibition would pave the way for illicit liquor, leading to loss of lives.
Recently, more than 30 people lost their lives in the state consuming industrial methanol.
The government's decision to open liquor vending machines at elite outlets and permit serving of liquor in international conferences, too, drew criticism. It was seen as attempts to increase consumption and sale to offset possible decline in revenue due to proposed closure of outlets.
The prohibition and excise department is also accused of failure to check the outlets charging Rs 10 more for every bottle of liquor. Over the years, the Madras High Court's intervention to check this hasn't had much effect.
Senthil Balaji, the minister who was in charge of the department till recently, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case.