Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) ordered the closure of 717 Tasmac shops functioning within 500 metres of educational institutions and places of worship across the State. Among all districts, Thoothukudi is set to witness the highest number of shop closures. The pearl city, which falls under Madurai region, will wind up 63 shops.
The Madurai belt alone will account for the closure of 281 Tasmac outlets under the State-wide crackdown. Around 37 will close down in Virudhunagar and 33 in Tirunelveli.
Madurai South will see 32 closures, while Ramanathapuram will shut 29 shops and Dindigul, 26. Sivaganga and Kanniyakumari will each witness 18 closures, while Madurai North and Theni will see 13 and 12 shops shut, respectively.
Road safety risks
Employees working at Tasmac outlets in the Madurai region said the government must ensure adequate police deployment in these areas following the closures. They also pointed out that one of the major concerns is that people may now travel longer distances to consume alcohol and then drive back, posing serious road safety risks.
