Several Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlets in Tiruchi region would soon be equipped with closed circuit television cameras as a security measure.
The TASMAC officials in Tiruchi region, encompassing nine districts, have already compiled the list of selected liquor outlets where the cameras need to be installed. The detailed list has already been forwarded to the TASMAC authorities at Chennai.
As per the proposed plan, two cameras per shop would be installed. The TASMAC officials say they have selected 695 liquor outlets across Tiruchi region where cameras needed to be equipped as a safety measure. This includes 105 liquor outlets in Tiruchi district; 80 in Pudukottai district; 50 in Karur district; 90 in Thanjavur district; 55 in Nagapattinam district; 60 in Tiruvarur district and 50 in Perambalur.
The list containing complete details of every selected shop in each district, their address and location details in Tiruchi region has already been forwarded to the TASMAC authorities at Chennai, say officials. A slew of factors were taken into consideration while identifying the liquor outlets requiring installation of surveillance cameras. Shops functioning in remote locations with steady sales; those outlets where theft had previously been reported, shops recording high sales in each district and previous instances of any law and order problem having occurred in any of shops were factors that were kept in mind while identifying the outlets for installation of cameras. Shops which were functioning in vulnerable places have also been considered during their selection.
The work was expected to be done soon as the State had already accorded permission for installation of the gadgets in retail outlets, say officials adding that the cameras could provide a tangible lead in case of theft from the outlets or during law and order issue.
Recurring instances of theft from TASMAC outlets had prompted the authorities to shift liquor bottles from all outlets in Tiruchi district to safer locations during the lockdown period in April. However, the outlets were reopened in early May.