Low turnout in Madurai Tasmac shops as tipplers are cash-strapped

The outlets were reopened following the intervention of the Supreme Court, which had on Friday stayed the Madras High Court order for their closure during the lockdown period as tipplers failed to maintain social distancing norms.

Sporting face mask, S Venkatesh, a tippler from SS Colony, who waited in queue close to a Tasmac shop at Ellisnagar here, said many like him from the low-income group have been starved of cash after being rendered jobless owing to COVID-19 lockdown. With less money available in his pocket, he said he had managed to buy only two quarter bottles each priced at Rs 145 for this month.

T Muthuraman from Anna bus stand area said tipplers turned up in large numbers to such shops when they were reopened after a long gap on May 7, as they thought that the outlets would remain closed there after. But, now as it is clear that the Tasmac shops would remain open forever, the tipplers were not in a hurry to buy liquor bottles.

Police personnel were deployed adequately at the shops, but tipplers did not give much work to them. As for Madurai South, 121 Tasmac shops among the total of 152 functioned and 98 among 113 shops functioned under the limits of Madurai North, sources said.

Alcoholic beverages ranging from Rs 120 to the maximum of Rs 400 for a quarter were sold out and tipplers fetched beer bottles each at Rs 140 and Rs 150. Adequate stocks have been maintained in both shops and godowns, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the tipplers from Tiruchy converged in all the outlets on Saturday morning hours and reserved their spots with placing their belongings especially their footwear in a long queue outside the outlets.

The tipplers were seen elated on the announcement of Tasmac outlets resuming sales from Saturday and this time, the tokens which were distributed with particular colour, had the number of the outlet and so those who received their tokens waited in a long queue.

Circles were drawn outside shops to ensure social distancing and the customers placed their footwear, umbrella, helmets in circles to reserve their spot to avoid hot sun and waited near the shady places.

While in some places, the tipplers were asked to avoid reserving the spot and so they were standing in a long queue despite the temperature was soaring high as 41 degree celsius. The salesmen sold liquor to the customers who were wearing masks.