A total of 500 Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd (Tasmac) shops will be shut on Sunday after the J Jayalalithaa government initiated the process. Ahead of the state elections this year, Jayalalithaa had promised to impose prohibition in a phased manner in Tamil Nadu. The identified shops will be shut from Sunday.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government asked Tasmac officials to post the affected staff as supervisors, salesmen and assistant salesmen in other outlets. According to a notice issued by the managing director of Tasmac, R Kirlosh Kumar, 201 shops will be shut in Madurai, 133 in Tiruchi, 60 in Coimbatore, 58 in Chennai and 48 in Salem. Jayalalithaa had signed the order after she was voted back to power in the May 16 election.

All of the state’s major parties had taken up prohibition as a major poll plank, after there was an outcry on the public health consequences of the state’s thriving liquor industry. The AIADMK, along with Opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the People’s Welfare Front and the Pattali Makkal Katchi had promised to end the sale of liquor in the state. Jayalalithaa's government in 2003 had taken control of liquor retail to give the government a monopoly in the industry, bringing in nearly Rs 27,000 crore a year.