The government of Tamilnadu will be closing 500 TASMAC outlets soon. The decision is in line with the announcement made by the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, V.Senthilbalaji in the state assembly on Mar.31.
The closure is based on the criteria: low sales, cluster of shops, shops located near religious places and educational institutions, shops that have been objected by the public for a long time, court litigation pertaining to shop closure and shops for which building owners consistently objected.
In Chennai South, the following TASMAC shop numbers will be closed: 514, 506, 511, 497, 926, 988, 641, 984, 663, 714, 951, 660, 999, 652, 682, 505, 680, 519, 637, 982, 915.
Residents of Kasturba Nagar disappointed
Among this list, is not included the TASMAC shop located at Canal Bank Road, Kasturba Nagar (Ward 173). The residents had submitted their representation with the Ward Councillor and MLA JMH Aassan Maulaana for the removal of the shop as it was a nuisance for the residents and the commercial establishments in the locality.
Adyar Times had reported on the dissent by the residents and the commercial establishments in the issue dated Apr.7, 2019. Apart from being a nuisance, the shop is also an encroachment on the Buckingham Canal.
The disappointment on the news was evident. ROKA (Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association), and many other residents of Kasturba Nagar have been trying for the past four years to get the shop removed.
“The Canal Bank Road TASMAC checks most of the criteria identified by the government. We are thus baffled at the exclusion. The TASMAC has been a big issue for everyone around the shop!” said Janani Venkitesh, Secretary of ROKA.
“The TASMAC in Kasturba Nagar, a big residential area, has become a nuisance for the residents and the general public, especially working women who use the nearby MRT Station. Kasturba Nagar residents have had enough of group drinking in open on pavements thereby menacing the public, littering bottles and sachets on the roads, misusing pavements under the influence as a result of TASMAC Shop No 953. We simply want it gone,” expresses S.Sridharan, a resident of Kasturba Nagar.
The closure of other TASMAC in the neighbourhood is likely to lead to the increase in the number of customers at this shop, further aggravating the situation, worries Bhaskar, another resident of Kasturba Nagar.
The fight is thus still not over, as D.Balaji, another resident of Kasturba Nagar says, “We once again appeal to our Chief Minister and am highly confident that he will order for its closure as he is always concerned about the health, safety and security of the subjects of Tamilnadu.”
