Chennai, Jun 15 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has sold liquor worth Rs 164 crore in the state in just one day.

All liquor outlets and bars opened in the state on Monday.

According to reports from the TASMAC, Madurai zone accounted for the maximum sales of Rs 49.54 crore followed by Chennai region with sales worth Rs 42.96 crore, Salem Rs 38.72 crore, and Trichy region accounting for the sale of Rs 33.65 crore worth of liquor.

However there was no sale in the Coimbatore region as the shops are closed in the area following the higher number of Covid-19 cases. Shops in Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Tiruppur, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvavur, Nagapattinam, and Myladuthurai remain closed as the number of cases are high.

Of the 5,338 shops in Tamil Nadu, 2,900 reopened on Monday.

The founder president of Pattali Makkal Katchi(PMK), Dr S. Ramadoss has called upon the state government to rework its policy on liquor and to enforce a total prohibition in the state for the health of the people of the state. He has also said that the claims of Chief Minister Stalin that TASMAC shops were allowed to function following the brewing of illicit liquor in the state as well as to prevent smuggling of liquor from neighbouring states.

Ramadoss has in a statement said, "Stalin should work his way to enforce total prohibition in the state of Tamil Nadu for the sake of the health of the people of the state, both mental and physical."