Chennai: In a bid to arm-twist the govt into rolling back its new measures to curb MRP violations — mandatory bottle collection and digital payments — Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation’s (Tasmac) contract workers shut liquor outlets across Tamil Nadu on Sunday without informing management. This left customers waiting outside closed shops and bars, hoping they would reopen.“Unless the payment and issues about empty bottle collection are sorted out, we won’t be able to open the outlets,” said a Tasmac union member. Not opening liquor shops on a Sunday, when liquor sales would be 60% more than on a regular day, has left Tasmac officials shocked. While Tasmac sells about ₹165 crore worth of liquor per day, the sales would jump to ₹265 crore on Sundays.The protest comes in the wake of Tasmac rolling out an empty liquor bottle collection scheme after including an extra ₹10 as environmental cess on the maximum retail price (MRP), which had been collected separately so far. Tasmac also restricted cash payments for a single liquor purchase to ₹1,000. Tasmac workers’ unions claimed that personnel on their own decided not to open shops. Prohibition and excise minister K Vignesh made it clear that the govt will not bow to Tasmac workers’ pressure tactics. “Show cause notice will be issued to everyone who did not report to work on Sunday, and those with unsatisfactory replies will be suspended. This govt does not run liquor outlets for profit, and it won’t allow any loophole in the system for some people to make money illegally,” the minister said.Tasmac workers claimed the system had been rolled out in haste. “The new system required liquor bottles to be scanned three times — twice during sale and another for empty bottle collection. It is time-consuming, and the software is slow. There are payment issues as well. No arrangements have been made about ₹10 notes and coins for reimbursement, said a Tasmac supervisor.Many Tasmac workers said they opened the shops but had to close them due to the maddening crowd. “I had to seek police help to close the shop again,” said a few other supervisors, who complained that slow-functioning handheld scanners forced them to close shops as liquor buyers got agitated.In the tug-of-war between Tasmac management and workers, liquor buyers were most affected. Those who visited Tasmac outlets as usual to get liquor on Sunday were confused as shops remained closed even after noon. In some outlets, tipplers queuing in the hope that shops would open were shooed away, while Saidapet police seized liquor bottles that were sold at a Tasmac-attached bar. Tasmac district managers have issued a memo to all salesmen who did not open liquor shops in their jurisdiction on Sunday.“It is high time the state govt privatises the retail liquor business. No amount of reformation will change Tasmac personnel’s behaviour. They resort to such drama for that extra ₹10. Quality liquor and a better buying experience will always remain a dream in Tamil Nadu,” said Satish Galley, a Semmancheri resident.Meanwhile, recreational clubs saw uncontrollable crowds on Sunday, as regular Tasmac outlets remained closed. Tipplers complained that they were fleeced triple the sum for liquor by club owners.
