Now, objections to Tasmac shops predating new educational institutions also to be considered

The Tamil Nadu government has allowed District Collectors to consider and act on petitions that object to State-run liquor shops (better known as Tasmac shops) if they had been established prior to the establishment of any place of worship or educational institution in a locality. The Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (in Shops and Bars) Rules, 2003, was amended to this effect recently.

Earlier, though there were proximity restrictions between a Tasmac shop and places of worship or educational institutions, they were applicable only if the places of worship or educational institutions had been established in a locality much before the Tasmac shop was set up there.

Though no Tasmac shop was to be established in Municipal Corporations and Municipalities within 50 metres from any place of worship or educational institutions, one of the provisos to Rule 8 on ‘Location of the shop’ had said the provisions of this rule shall not apply “if any place of worship, educational institution comes into existence subsequent to the establishment of the Tasmac shop”.

The amended proviso said: “However, if any representation is received objecting to the location of the shop established prior to the establishment of any educational institution within the distance as specified in sub-rule (1), the same shall be considered by the Collector on merits and orders passed thereon within a period of thirty days from the date of such representation”. As of March this year, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) has 4,787 retail vending shops and 2,362 bars attached to the retail vending shops.

Published - June 19, 2025 05:47 pm IST