TN Governor Slams Drug Culture, Announces Prevention Force in Every District

TN Assembly: Governor slams "drug culture" in State, says prevention force formed in every district; 717 retail liquor outlets closed

Chennai, June 18

Governor Arlekar welcomed all MLAs to the first sitting of the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly, which began with the playing of the State Anthem 'Thamizhthai Vaazhthu'. Following this, the National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'.

The Governor, in his address, outlined the vision, priorities and policy direction of the newly elected TVK-led government under Chief Minister Vijay.

"The Chief Minister in a short time achieved a feat of Himalayan scale by bringing about a new renaissance and a great widespread revolution in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu," Arlekar said.

He described the 2026 Assembly election results as a "Whistle Revolution" that brought about a "transformation never seen before in the political history of Tamil Nadu."

The Governor noted that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) formed the government within just two years of its founding, "vanquishing money power and upholding democracy." He emphasised that the government, which includes a "share in power" for coalition partners- a first in 74 years- is guided by the ideologies of Periyar, Ambedkar, and Kamarajar.

"Since India attained independence, Perarignar Anna in 1967 and Puratchi Thalaivar MGR in 1977 ushered in great revolutions in the politics of Tamil Nadu. On similar lines, in 2026, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has single-handedly brought about a great, historic revolution," he said

In a direct attack on the previous M K Stalin-led DMK administration, the Governor stated that "drug culture has taken deep roots in Tamil Nadu" due to a lack of "constructive action" over the past few years.

Addressing the House, Arlekar said, "The primary cause of the breakdown of law and order in Tamil Nadu has been the widespread availability of drugs."

He announced that the new government has already issued orders to form a 'Special Drug-Prevention Force' in every district.

"This Government is taking every measure necessary to completely eradicate the movement of drugs and create a drug-free Tamil Nadu," the Governor added.

He noted that the Government has closed 717 retail liquor outlets situated within 500 metres of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands immediately upon assuming office. He stated that necessary stringent rules will be framed and enforced to completely eradicate the movement of illicit liquor, illegal sale of liquor, and to tightly regulate this sector. Through this, malpractices in excise and liquor distribution will be curbed, and the socio-economic environment of the State will be restored.

The Governor said the government would focus on safeguarding the rights of the State while giving priority to the welfare of women and children.

Painting a grim picture of the state's economy, the Governor said that Tamil Nadu's debt has nearly doubled in the last five years, reaching Rs 10 lakh crore.

"Every individual living in Tamil Nadu now bears a debt burden of more than one lakh rupees," the Governor stated, citing a White Paper on state finances. He blamed "fiscal mismanagement, revenue leakages, and systematic corruption" for the decline in tax revenue. To combat this, he announced that the government has levied an additional privilege fee on liquor manufacturers to channel diverted funds back into the State treasury, expecting an annual receipt of Rs 1,000 crore.

Meanwhile, DMK staged a walkout from the Assembly, urging CM Joseph Vijay to break his silence on law and order issues.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLAs had arrived sporting black badges to protest the alleged deterioration of the law and order situation in the State ahead of the commencement of the Session. Led by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, they had staged a protest inside the Assembly premises, condemning the rise in alleged sexual violence against women and children.

Ahead of the beginning of the Assembly Session, a controversy had been brewing in the State over reportedly relegating the singing of the Tamil anthem to third position in the protocol order during the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet ministers, and earlier during Vijay's swearing-in as the Chief Minister.

This had sparked massive outrage from opposition parties like the DMK and AIADMK, who accused the new TVK government of "disrespecting Tamil culture" and "bowing to the Centre's pressure."

Earlier this year, the then-Governor R N Ravi had staged a high-profile walkout of the Assembly after the MK Stalin-led DMK government refused to play the National Anthem alongside the state anthem at the start of the Session.

After the April 23 Assembly polls this year, TVK emerged as the single largest party, winning 108 seats out of the total 234 seats. It was supported by the Congress, VCK, two Left parties and the IUML to win the confidence vote and form the new government in the State.

— ANI