Chennai: The relief for residents of North Chennai's Old Washermenpet over Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's order to close Tasmac outlets within 500 metres of educational institutions has been short-lived. An outlet in the neighbourhood located near three schools and a college still hasn't been closed.
This two-decade-old liquor shop and bar in Mint Suburayulu Naidu Street, right next to the busy Thiruvottiyur High Road, stands 200 metres from the popular Sir Theagaraya College, 250 metres from a GCC girls high school, 270 metres from a GCC middle school, and about 150 metres from a private co-ed school.
Residents complain that drunk men sleeping on the road make it unsafe at night. Staff at the shop litter the street with waste such as used cups and carton boxes lying on the road. The wastewater from cleaning the Tasmac also spills onto the road, creating a pool.
CPI councillors, who have long demanded its closure, are now pressing authorities to act immediately. "We held signature campaigns, protests and have given multiple petitions to the former Tasmac MD a few years ago. Yet, they have not closed it. Now, the chief minister has made a formal announcement. What is stopping them?" asked M Renuka, ward 42 councillor of CPI.
Renuka has held protests outside several Tasmacs in the neighbourhoods and facilitated the closing of one shop located behind a GCC school. "Girls have to pass through this Tasmac to go home at 4 pm. Scores of men stand outside to buy liquor. Often, brawls happen here. This is unsafe. If drunk men sleep on the road at night, how will women, who return from night shift, walk safely?" she asked.
R Ramesh, a civic activist who lives in the adjacent Shanmugaroyan Street, said the tipplers end up parking their bikes inside their street. "If we ask them to remove it, they threaten to beat us or use bad language," he said.
A home department official said all shops will be closed. "We are finalising the logistics as the items inside need to be shifted. That's why there's a delay," the official said. The deadline set by the Chief Minister is set to end in two days. So far, more than 400 out of 717 shops have been closed.
