Kamal Haasan repeats TASMAC privatisation pitch, favours complete ban on alcohol in future

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan once again repeated his appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to take firm steps on liquor stores in the state and called for the business to be privatized again. Kamal Haasan had previously urged the AIADMK government to allow private players to handle TASMAC, citing that it was the government's job to be involved in the sale of alcohol. MNM's permanent president called for the number of TASMAC outlets in the states to be reduced to half while privatizing the rest gradually. 

In a press release circulated by MNM, Kamal Haasan pointed out that alcoholism was not prevalent in the state when liquor stores were privately owned, noting that there weren't many shops back then as well. Kamal Haasan suggested 'extremely limited' deliveries to private stores, keeping them under strict surveillance and enforcing rigid timings as means to reduce alcoholism in the state. Further, the MNM chief demanded the government to provide rehabilitation centers near liquor stores in order to help those addicted to alcohol. 

Kamal Haasan remarked that the state government must take the first step towards enforcing a complete ban on alcohol in Tamil Nadu. Slamming the state government, the actor-turned-politician claimed that the former had no interest to take the necessary steps to combat alcoholism in the interests of the people. Kamal Haasan urged the AIADMK government to look into the issue of alcohol abuse in the state in order to help the 'vulnerable women' who are affected by the evil. 

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Haasan repeats TASMAC privatisation pitch

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Earlier on 3 February, Kamal Haasan had claimed that an honest sub-inspector was killed by a man who was addicted to alcohol in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Haasan pointed out that the 'addict's wife had also attempted suicide following his actions. The MNM chief urged the government to hand over the operations of TASMAC to private companies while also suggesting the government to set up rehabilitation centers next to each TASMAC outlet in order to help people with issues of addiction. The actor-turned-politician also slammed the government for inviting vendors to set up TASMAC outlets thereby drawing lakhs into the addictive habit. 

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Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021

The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. With AIADMK announcing it will continue its national alliance with BJP, the saffron party is yet to officially announce its state-level alliance. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats.

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