Tasmac queue tokens given out in govt school in Salem

Mayilvaganan.V@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore:  08.05.2020

When crowd surged in front of a Tasmac outlet in a village in Salem district on Thursday, the official machinery thought it fit to shift token distribution for the tipplers to a government school about 500 metres away. The tipplers were asked to queue up inside the panchayat union primary school at Kamalapuram near Omalur, where Tasmac staff issued them tokens.

The official apathy, which resulted in the school being put to such use, irked the residents of Kamalapuram. A group of agitated villagers took up the issue with police and Tasmac staff, who stopped after issuing tokens to about 300 people.

“This is the height of government apathy. If authorities treat school as an extension of a Tasmac outlet, won’t tipplers be emboldened to enter the campus at night and consume alcohol,” asked K Selvakumar, district coordinator of Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iyakkam. Selvakumar also questioned the education department authorities for agreeing to open the gates of the school for a nonacademic purpose like this.

Soon after the issue surfaced on social media, there was blame game among the officialdom. Senior Tasmac officials said they were not aware that the school was being used for token distribution and passed the bucks to local staff and police. “Tasmac staff were instructed only to issue tokens in front of the outlet. But it was local police who instructed them to shift token distribution to the school playground as a large number of people started gathering,” said G Vediyappan, district manager, Tasmac.

Salem collector S A Raman said he has ordered a probe into the incident. “I have sought an explanation from Tasmac as well as panchayat union officials. I have told education department officials to inquire and submit a report. Strict action will be taken based on the report.”

INQUIRY ON: Crowd at panchayat union primary school at Kamalapuram where the tokens were distributed to tipplers for the Tasmac outlet 500m away