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Vijay government reinforces 21-year drinking age as 717 TASMAC shops are ordered closed
Tamil Nadu's new Vijay-led government reinforced the legal drinking age of 21 and ordered stricter age checks at TASMAC outlets. It also announced the closure of 717 TASMAC shops near temples, schools, and bus stations, with closures to be completed within two weeks, and considered reducing shop operating hours. The move follows Vijay's oath as chief minister and is part of broader welfare and public health aims.
Why It Matters
The policy signals a hardening stance on alcohol availability in Tamil Nadu and a focus on public welfare, while TASMAC remains a major revenue source for the state.
Timeline
2 Events
Vijay government reinforces 21-year drinking age and orders TASMAC age-verification checks; closes 717 TASMAC shops
May 14, 2026
The Tamil Nadu government reinforced the legal drinking age of 21 and directed TASMAC staff to strictly verify customers' ages, including checking Aadhaar where age is in question. Officials announced the closure of 717 TASMAC outlets located within 500 metres of temples, educational institutions, and bus stations—276 near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stations. The closures are to be completed within the next two weeks, reducing total TASMAC shops from 4,765 to 4,048. The government also signaled a possible reduction of operating hours from 12 noon–10 pm to 8 pm, as part of efforts to curb alcohol access and promote public welfare.
Vijay takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
May 10, 2026
Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister on May 10, leading a TVK-led coalition government after the assembly elections. The coalition relied on outside support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, VCK, AMMK, and a rebel AIADMK faction led by SP Velumani; the DMK walked out during the trust vote proceedings. He later won the trust vote in the Assembly with the support of 144 MLAs, crossing the majority mark, after meeting DMK president MK Stalin ahead of the vote.