AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a record sixth time along with 28 cabinet colleagues on Monday at a glittering ceremony for which invitations were extended to several national leaders.
Minutes after she was sworn in, ordered a slew of measures aimed at fulfilling her electoral promises including waiving crop loans of farmers and free units of electricity to consumers.
This is for the first time since the death of former chief minister MG Ramachandra Menon, who is popularly known as MGR, in 1987 that a ruling party has returned to power for a consecutive second term in Tamil Nadu.
Liquor shops across the state will be opened only between 12 noon and 10pm as against 10am and 10pm at present. All Tasmac shops in the state will work only for 10 hours instead of 12 hours.
The manifesto promised to impose liquor prohibition step by step. Along with lowering the hours, 500 Tasmac shops will also be closed in the state. At present, there are 6,720 liquor shops in the state. Once 500 shops are closed, the number will come down to 6,220.
Alcohol deaddiction centers will also be opened across the state to deal with the shrinking access to alcohol.
Prohibition was a major poll promise when Jayalalithaa began her campaign.
She flipped the election battle in her favour by charging rival Karunanidhi and his DMK party for lifting prohibition in 1971 and introducing alcohol to subsequent generations.
