Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) advocate K Balu has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court challenging Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation’s (TASMAC) decision to introduce sale of liquor through its online booking portal and also the State Government’s attempt to explore the ways and means through which it could augment public revenue through liquor sales.

The petition filed by him in his capacity as the president of Advocates Forum for Social Justice is expected to be listed for hearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan shortly.

In his affidavit, the petitioner recalled a number of cases that he had filed in the past as part of his crusade against liquor and highlighted that the State had a constitutional obligation to make an endeavour towards implementation of total prohibition.

He, however, lamented that the government was, on the other hand, promoting liquor sales and exploring the means to generate revenue through it. The petitioner said, there was indeed total prohibition in the State during the early 1970s but thereafter the government had begun encouraging retail sale of liquor through private shops. At present, the TASMAC was holding monopoly over both wholesale as well as retail sale of liquor in the State.

Though the incumbent Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government claimed to have closed down 717 retail liquor shops, located close to educational institutions and religious places, after it assumed power, the petitioner doubted the government’s claim and contended that many liquor shops continued to operate in close proximity to educational institutions.

He also stated that as many as 35,000 contract employees were serving in TASMAC a few years ago but nearly 10,000 of those employees had been terminated from service over the years, thereby bringing down the manpower considerably. The existing employees were finding it extremely difficult to manage the retail liquor shops and collect empty liquor bottles from the customers. In such a situation forcing them to take care of online sale of liquor too would cast a heavy burden on them, he said.

The petitioner feared that TASMAC’s online booking facility might actually end up becoming a source for easy availability of liquor even to those below 21 years of age and ruin the society by making it addicted to alcohol.

He said, a Government Order issued recently asking the State’s ‘Revenue Augmentation Committee’ to recommend ways of enhancing revenue from alcohol for human consumption was impermissible in law and therefore, the particular clause in the G.O. must be struck down as illegal.

Published - August 12, 2026 09:20 pm IST