Residents up in arms against liquor shops

Coimbatore: Several residents and political outfits have opposed the state government’s move to reopen Tasmac outlets in the district from Thursday.
Many residents whom TOI spoke to were of the view that the decision would further distress the financial situation of working class people.
Residents of CMC colony – one of the areas where sanitary workers reside in large numbers – staged a protest against the decision by holding placards. They wore masks and ensured social distancing between them.
“What is the point of reopening liquor shops? While the government could manage to function without the outlets for over 40 days, why could they not manage for a little longer. The state government may claim that they had reopened it only to prevent people from traveling to neighbouring states to purchase liquors. But if they really cared for the public, they would have taken steps to control the movement not to reopen the shops,” said Parthiban, a local resident.
At a time when the sanitary workers are being lauded as frontline warriors for their effort against Covid-19, the Tasmac gambit would not just be harmful to their health but also further deteriorate their financial situation, Parthiban said, adding that the move shows how much the government cares for its people.
“Until recently, the government was restricting people from going to markets to control spread of the virus. But now, all of a sudden, they are opening liquor shops. Won’t the virus spread at Tasmac outlets,” asked Radhika, district secretary of AIDWA. The members had submitted a petition to the district collector urging him not to reopen the shops.
Pointing out that they had been receiving numerous complaints from women, she said that once people became addicted to liquor, they would continue to buy irrespective of their financial situation.
DMK MLA N Karthik in a statement urged the government not to reopen liquor shops till the lockdown is lifted.