Elaborate arrangements have been made in Tiruchi to prevent overcrowding at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) shops, which are slated to resume business on Thursday.
Out of 183 shops in the district, officials have decided to open 163. They have deferred the plan to open the remaining 20 shops as they are located in containment zones. They will resume business only after the zones are de-notified.
On an average, TASMAC sells liquor worth of ₹3.25 crore in Tiruchi district a day. Officials expect that sale is likely to be heavy on the first day of resumption of sales after a gap of 42 days. They have piled up stocks. Stocks of liquor bottles, which had been kept at Devar Hall, Kalaiarangam, TASMAC depot in the city and a few marriage halls on the outskirts of the city, were transported to respective shops on Wednesday.
Senior revenue and police officials held a special meeting here on Wednesday to chalk out a strategy to prevent overcrowding and enforcing social distancing norms..
D.S. Durai Murugan, District Manager, TASMAC, said barricades have been erected in front of all shops so as to regulate customers. Wearing face mask had been made compulsory. If anyone comes without a mask , he would be handed over to the police.
Circles have been drawn with a gap of 6 feet for customers to stand in queue in front of shops. Those visiting shops would be given tokens. Similar to the token system in banks, token holders would be informed through public address system.
A senior official said that each shop would have two counters for clearing the rush as quickly as possible. Elaborate security arrangements would be in place for regulating the crowd. At least 2 policemen and 2 Home Guards would be on duty at each shop. In addition, volunteers would be involved in crowd regulating duty. About 500 volunteers had been drawn for it.