‘90 Meetings In 90 Days’ – Chief Ministers Are Viewing It In A Different Way.

May 2026: One of the most well-known recommendations in 12-step recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is “90 meetings in 90 days”. This structured approach helps individuals establish a strong foundation for long-term sobriety.

But before discussing about the effectiveness of “90 meetings in 90 days”, it is also of omnipotent importance that each and every stakeholders in our society should be pro-active in manifesting the effectiveness. The first step in this process is swaying the addict from the addiction agent; here as we are discussing about alcoholic addictions – evitably we mean to say that the alcoholic should be kept faraway from alcohol.

With due cognizance, Newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 government-run TASMAC liquor retail outlets located within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stations in the State, within two weeks, in the interest of public welfare.

After assuming the office of CM, Vijay ordered a survey of TASMAC liquor shops to identify the ones operating near places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. “With the welfare of the general public in mind, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has issued orders to close within two weeks, all the 717 retail liquor shops situated within a 500-meter radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands.

Currently, 4,765 retail liquor shops are being operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation. From among these, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, issued directives to conduct a survey and identify those shops located within a 500-meter radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. In accordance with the aforementioned order, it was identified that 717 retail liquor shops are currently operating within these three specified categories”, a press release read.

“Taking public welfare into consideration, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, has ordered the closure, within the next two weeks, a total of 717 retail liquor shops, comprising 276 shops located near places of worship, 186 shops near educational institutions, and 255 shops near bus stands”, the release added.

Although TASMAC liquor shops make up for high revenue for the Tamil Nadu government, there have been calls across party lines to close several of these retail outlets. The TASMAC has also come under the probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Last year, the probe agency had conducted raids at multiple premises across Tamil Nadu in connection with alleged offences related to Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) and associated entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in its manifesto has also promised a drug-free Tamil Nadu.

But in a sharp contrast the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah’s stand has evoked widespread criticisms from others, but from within his own National Conference. It is the Member of the Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference criticised the CM Omar Abdullah, accusing him of deviating from the party’s stand on liquor shops and calling the latter’s remarks “arrogant and haughty, which completely lacked logic”. Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi slammed Omar Abdullah for not upholding his promise and said that the CM is speaking the language “associated with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”.

“Regarding the issue of alcohol, we at the National Conference had explicitly stated during our election campaign that we would shut down the wine shops that had been opened. Yesterday (11th May) he (J&K CM Omar Abdullah) was questioned regarding this very matter. Unfortunately, he gave a highly

arrogant and haughty reply, one that completely lacked logic”, he said. “Instead of acknowledging and upholding the promises we had made to the people, he chose to scold the very people who questioned him. He labelled the people as ‘drunkards’. This is the kind of language typically associated with the BJP; he himself is affixing these tags upon Kashmiris”, he added.

National Conference MP attack on his party’s second in command came after Omar Abdullah defended the administration’s policy on liquor shops, saying the government was not encouraging alcohol consumption but allowing individuals whose religious beliefs permit it to exercise their choice. “These (wine) shops are intended specifically for those individuals whose religious beliefs permit them to consume alcohol. No government in Jammu and Kashmir, to date, has ever imposed a complete ban on these establishments. This does not imply that we wish to encourage increased consumption; it simply means that those whose religious tenets permit the use or consumption of alcohol are free to do so”, he said.

CM Omar Abdullah has added that his government had adopted measures to prevent alcohol from influencing the younger generation. “Our own religion does not grant us such permission, nor do we desire to see people gravitating toward this path. Consequently, our administration has implemented two or three key measures. First, we have not opened any new liquor shops. Second, we have made every concerted effort to ensure that no such shop is situated in a location where it might tempt our youth to stray down the wrong path”, he said.

The Chief Minister has also accused political opponents of attempting to use the issue to divert attention from their own failures.

Team Maverick.