While keeping the restrictions alive on the transportation channels in the wake of the extended lockdown, the Tamil Nadu state government has extended the timings of the TASMAC liquor shops and the extension of the timings would add more revenue to the government's coffers. 

According to the reports, the Tamil Nadu Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has resumed the operations of 3,700 outlets across the state on May 16 after the Supreme Court had cleared the way for resumption amid the rapid spread of the global pandemic. However, the government has stated that the outlets would be functioning from 10 am to 5 pm across the state apart from Chennai and Tiruvallur districts. 

The government has limited the over-crowding of the tipplers by permitting only 500 customers per day at an outlet on a token basis. On Monday, the government issued a fresh directive in which it has extended the timings for two hours and now the outlets will be functioning till 7 pm. However, the government is yet to clarify whether the number of customers permitted at each shop per day will be revised as per the extension of the timings.

The extension of the timings has come when the state has been going through the fourth spell of the lockdown and when the government has strongly been criticized for re-opening the TASMAC shops. The resumption has been paying back with what the government has expected, the government has banked over Rs 290 crore in the last two days through the sale of liquor. 

TASMAC liquor shops have been one of the major revenue generators for the state government and the extension of the timings is expected to put more crores in the coffers with having no surety on how the social distancing norms and the standard operating procedures will be followed to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

Last Friday, the Supreme Court has stayed the orders of the Madras High Court which directed the state government to close the TASMAC shops. Upon having the directive from the apex court, the state government had re-opened the shops on May 16 - Saturday with some guidelines. The shops in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts, and in the containment zones across the state will be closed as these have been active COVID-19 hotspots.

The rest of the outlets have been permitted to sell liquor only to 70 individuals per hour at each outlet and the TASMAC will be providing seven different tokens for seven days to check on the number of the customers to ensure that the social distancing norms are being followed. 

Also read: Tasmac shops re-opened in TN with some regulations - What are those?