Draft tender conditions propose permission for full-fledged kitchens in bars, which were denied so far on fire-safety grounds
Sources said the bids will be finalised in the same month, and the new licences are likely to take effect on Dec 1. Of the 4,058 Tasmac liquor shops in Tamil Nadu , about 2,500 have attached bars. About 600 of these are in the Chennai region. When original licenses expired in Dec 2025, the then DMK govt extended them by six months, until June 30. The latest extension ends on October 31, but Tasmac is likely to extend the licences again until new contracts are awarded, sources said.
“All district managers have been told to compile the highest sales data for each shop in their jurisdiction. The upset price for each shop will be fixed on this basis,” an official said. Chennai: Tasmac plans to float fresh tenders in the first week of Nov to issue licences for bars attached to its retail liquor outlets. The TVK govt then extended them twice, by two months each time.
“The new tender will not allow mass control of Tasmac bars, as was the case under previous govts,” he said. Prohibition and excise minister K Vignesh defended the delay in floating the tender, saying the govt does not want to leave any loophole for bidders to exploit.