Nagercoil: Maria Jennifer, state women’s wing coordinator of Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK), has expressed strong condemnation against the district administration and TASMAC officials for stalling the removal of a liquor outlet in Marungur. The shop, located in Amaravathi Vilai, became a point of contention as local residents, students, and the elderly were severely affected by its presence near residential zones.

A petition was previously filed in the Madurai High Court by local representatives including the Marungur Town Panchayat President Lakshmi Srinivasan. Following an investigation which revealed that the shop violated Rule 8 of the Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending Rules by being situated near places of worship, the court issued a stern order on February 10th to remove the shop.

Despite this deadline, officials claimed they had not received the copy of the order and were using 'site searching' as an excuse to keep the shop running. Maria Jennifer shared the official court order copy on social media on February 16th, highlighting that the final judgement clearly mandates the immediate relocation of TASMAC shop No. 4740 to a place that does not disturb the public. Political parties and locals who engaged in an 8-day protest see this court order as a significant victory for their struggle.