Hours after the Supreme Court issued a fresh order of staying the judgment of the Madras High Court which directed to shut down the TASMAC liquor shops, the state government of Tamil Nadu, as expected, had announced that the TASMAC liquor shops would be re-opened from Saturday across the state. 

In its recent announcement, the government notified that the TASMAC outlets will be resuming its operations across the state, apart from Chennai as the city has become the active hotspot for COVID-19 spread. The apex court has paved the way for the uninterrupted resumption of the TASMAC shops in Tamil Nadu through its order that has been issued on Friday, exactly one week after the Madras High Court had directed the government to close the liquor shops.

According to the reports, the TASMAC shops will likely be functioning from 10 am to 5 pm across the state as per the government's notification issued earlier and the marketing corporation will be re-opening 3600 outlets in the state on Saturday apart from Chennai, Tiruvallur and the other hotspots. 

As per the directive of the Supreme Court, the state will be shuttering up the shops and the Director-General of Police had instructed the district police officials to ensure that the directives of the top court and social distancing norms are followed. The government has permitted 550 tipplers to stand in a queue before the outlets while the rest would be given with the tokens to wait.

In its order, the Supreme Court stayed the additional conditions issued by the Madras High Court and adjourned the case for two months letting the Tamil Nadu government re-open the shops amid the rampant spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Director-General of Police has asked the district officials not to compromise the social distancing norms while the tipplers' throng to buy the liquor and also instructed to install parking areas.

On May 7, the government had resumed the operations of the liquor shops after being shut down for over six weeks. The outlets across the state, apart from Chennai, were opened and the tipplers queued up before the shops to buy liquor. The Madras High Court had initially directed the state to open the liquor shops with ensuring that the social distancing norms are being followed. 

Despite the criticisms, the state government has opened the shops to fill its coffers as TASMAC is one of the major revenue generators of the state. In the first two days of sales, the state government had banked the revenue of Rs 295 crore. However, the tipplers put the social distancing norms on wind following which the High Court had, on last Friday, directed to close the liquor shops. 

On May 9, the state government has appealed to the Supreme court to challenge the high court's order and it stated that the closure of the TASMAC shops would cause grave loss to the government. After hearing the petition, the apex court has, on Friday - May 15, stayed the order of the Madras High Court and let the government re-open the liquor shops again.

Also read: Supreme Court stayed Madras HC's order - Will the TASMAC shops get re-opened?