Tasmac workers shut Tamil Nadu liquor outlets over new rules
Contract workers closed shops on Sunday to protest mandatory bottle collection and digital payment regulations, according to The Times of India.
Contract workers of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) shut liquor outlets across Tamil Nadu on Sunday. The workers closed the shops without informing management to protest new measures regarding digital payments and mandatory empty bottle collection, according to The Times of India.
The new system includes an empty bottle collection scheme following the addition of a ₹10 environmental cess to the maximum retail price. Tasmac has also restricted cash payments for a single purchase to ₹1,000. A Tasmac supervisor stated that the new system is time-consuming because bottles must be scanned three times and the software is slow.
Prohibition and excise minister K Vignesh said the government will not yield to these pressure tactics. The minister stated that show cause notices will be issued to those who failed to report for work on Sunday and that individuals providing unsatisfactory replies will face suspension.
The minister added that the government does not run liquor outlets for profit and will not permit loopholes for illegal money making. Tasmac officials noted that Sunday sales typically reach ₹265 crore, compared to the daily average of ₹165 crore.
Some workers claimed they had to close shops because slow handheld scanners caused agitation among crowds. In some areas, such as Saidapet, police seized liquor bottles sold at a bar attached to a Tasmac outlet.