Revenue generated by TASMAC liquor outlets by liquor sale go to fill up the coffers of the state in a big way, and so the Government is even more keen on opening and operating more and more TASMAC outlets even though over 3000 such TASMAC outlets have been closed down, thanks to Supreme Court order.
"It is ironical that the Government of the day has prioritized filling up of coffers over the public health of its citizens”, say many enlightened citizens.
Even though the state has witnessed a number of protests against establishing new outlets, which have been shifted out of the highways and its vicinity and installed in market areas and near schools and temples with in the town, the Government is bent upon increasing its numbers, come what may.
Drinking is a social evil and it has afflicted every section of society due to easy availability of state- run TASMAC liquor. Even women and school children taken to drinking and have become addicted to the bottle, which is nothing short of the drinking habit taking a monstrous avatar through TASMAC liquor vends run by the state. Indeed, this binge drinking has spawned new addictive ways and decadent culture among the common man in Tamilnadu.
"While wage earners spend most of their earnings on buying a bottle of whiskey or brandy, some start drinking all through the day and visit the TASMAC outlets many times a day. They lounge in the streets boozed up and create public nuisance, where ever they go. Accidents, drunken debauchery, crime mates are increasing due to this new drinking culture which is pervading the state" say Social activists.
One such spectacle was witnessed in Coonoor wherein a drunkard had fallen in the ditch and lay in there, with none caring for him. The drunk man in a drunken stupor has forgotten the world and his family and was seen lying semi-conscious in the street thanks to TASMAC outlets, which are mushrooming day by day and are kept opened from morning to night. Black marketing in TASMAC has also increased making the availability of liquor 24/7.
It seems TASMAC liquor is duck which is laying Golden eggs for the Government. The Government would not kill it, but go to open more such outlets to milk the money from common man and get votes by distributing freebies from the same rotten money which was earned through selling liquor through state run net works of liquor vends.
Now it is the responsibility of the common man to steer clear of the drunken ways and habits and be a good and responsible citizen.