2 months ago
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More than 150 liquor outlets located successful adjacent proximity to acquisition institutions and places of worship person been unopen crossed Tamil Nadu pursuing directives issued by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. Sources said that astir 50 shops were unopen connected May 12, followed by different 50 outlets connected May 13 and an further 50 connected May 14. Employees associated with the process said that store closure is not a elemental workout of shutting operations and vacating the premises. They pointed retired that it involves a elaborate procedure, including shifting existing banal to the godown and completing the indispensable fiscal and administrative formalities, including submission of accounts.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited, known arsenic Tasmac, has compiled and segregated details of shops to beryllium closed nether aggregate categories including district, store fig and the administrative country nether which the outlet falls — corporation, municipality, municipality panchayat oregon colony panchayat. Additional parameters specified arsenic the region of the store from autobus stands, places of worship and acquisition institutions, on with mean regular income successful presumption of cases sold and gross generated per day, person besides been taken into consideration.
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, different circular was issued stating that strict enactment would beryllium initiated against those selling liquor supra the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). The section has directed officials to behaviour astonishment inspections crossed the authorities and has warned of stringent enactment against shops recovered violating the prescribed rules and pricing norms.
This is not the archetypal lawsuit of specified enactment being initiated. Over the years, Tasmac has periodically instructed its teams to show and guarantee that liquor outlets adhere to prescribed MRP norms. According to tipplers, immoderate outlets person reportedly been charging an further magnitude ranging betwixt ₹10 and ₹20 per vessel supra the MRP.
Three salesmen from antithetic outlets shared their position connected wherefore further charges are sometimes collected from customers. One of them said, “If bottles get damaged portion unloading banal from vehicles, we are required to carnivore the outgo astatine the MRP rate. During the summertime season, brew bottles are besides much prone to cracking oregon breaking, and the nonaccomplishment has to beryllium absorbed by us. In addition, determination are proscription and labour charges progressive successful moving banal from depots to shops, and these costs besides person to beryllium paid by us.”
A 2nd salesman pointed retired that salaries successful TASMAC stay comparatively debased erstwhile measured against neighbouring States specified arsenic Kerala. He said that a supervisor receives a wage of ₹16,850, which comes down to astir ₹14,518 aft deductions. Similarly, salesmen person ₹14,530, with take-home wage reducing to astir ₹12,477 aft deductions, portion adjunct salesmen person ₹13,340 and instrumentality location astir ₹11,429 aft deductions. The 3rd salesman said that the authorities should telephone for a gathering with them and inquire what challenges workers astatine Tasmac shops face.
Those moving astatine Tasmac shops successful Chennai portion said that since the announcements were made, they person been facing hard situations, with societal media flooded with videos targeting outlets successful assorted localities. Some salesmen alleged that youngsters person been filming them during liquor purchases and informing them of nationalist exposure, which they said has been causing stress.
Meanwhile, the State authorities reaffirmed the 21- years bounds for buying alcohol, successful Tamil Nadu.
