Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay, also known as Thalapathy Vijay, has ordered the immediate closure of 717 state-run liquor shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. The directive, issued through a government notification on Tuesday, instructs that the closures be completed within two weeks. The affected outlets are operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC).

According to the notification, a survey of 4,765 TASMAC shops found that 717 were situated too close to sensitive public areas—276 near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands. The government said the decision was taken in the public interest and directed officials to ensure full implementation within the set timeframe.

This move marks one of the first major administrative decisions by Vijay’s newly elected Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. It fulfills a key campaign promise to reform liquor sales and signals a policy shift prioritizing public welfare over revenue, as TASMAC remains a major source of state income.