Residents, largely women, of Pudhuvai Nagar in Chromepet are up in arms against a Tasmac outlet that opened in the locality recently.
On Thursday morning, they conducted a demonstration saying the shop violated government norms. The Kancheepuram district administration must take steps to shut the shop at the earliest, the residents said.
The shop (no. 4,061) was located in Madurantakam earlier. It was moved to Chromepet following a Madras High Court order banning liquor outlets along the highways. The shop’s new location in Pudhuvai Nagar has angered residents who said the outlet was still very close to GST Road and also in the vicinity of the Chromepet-Pallavaram railway line.
“There are a few dozen families in Pudhuvai Nagar. In the one week since the outlet opened, we have faced numerous problems due to the presence of drunkards. Families with working parents are now wary of leaving their teenaged children alone at home,” said Selvi, a resident. The Small Traders Association of GST Road, Chromepet–Pallavaram, supported the protest.
Government officials, however, said no rule was violated in the setting up of the outlet. They gave their consent after spot inspections and approvals from the police and senior Tasmac officials.
There was no school or place of worship in the vicinity of the outlet and it did not violate any guidelines as it was a good distance away from GST Road.
