Collector told to inspect village over plea to shut Tasmac shops

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed the Ramanathapuram Collector to inspect a village in a plea seeking the closure of two Tasmac shops.

In a PIL, K Kalairajan, an agriculturist and former president of Pannavayal village, Ramanathapuram district, demanded the closure of two Tasmac shops numbered 6,990 and 7,035 located at Pannavayal village, Thiruvadanai taluk.

The demand was already represented to the Ramanathapuram Collector and District Manager, Tasmac on July 4, 2022.

The petitioner further stated agriculture is the basic livelihood of the villagers, who largely rely on a tank (Aththani kanmoi), but those two liquor shops are located nearby the tank.

After consuming liquor, drunkards threw empty bottles and other plastic wastes in the tank and on adjacent farmlands.

Five years ago, the local villagers agitated and the Thiruvadanai police in 2017 filed a case. After the agitation, those two shops were closed, only to be opened later. Three temples were also located nearby those liquor shops, which still remain a cause of concern for the villagers, the petitioner added.

A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice L Victoria Gowri, after hearing directed the Ramanathapuram Collector to inspect the locality, assess the distance between those two Tasmac shops and Kottai Mariamman temple and submit a report. The case has been adjourned until June 24.