TASMAC shops: Behind the scenes

Complaints of bottles being sold at prices higher than MRP in the outlets pour in from across the State, except those in Chennai police limits

- T MURUGANANDHAM

THE demand for liquor is so high and impregnable in Tamil Nadu that the State may not be able to afford any anomaly in the functioning of one of its highest revenue generators the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).

But consumers across the State, except those in Chennai police limits, have complained about liquor bottles sold at TASMAC outlets being priced higher than the MRP. When enquired, the employees at several outlets said they had to bear a lot of additional expenses to manage the shops without much support from the company officials. A senior TASMAC official, however, claimed that it was commonplace for employees affiliated to unions to level baseless allegations.

When the government headed by the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa took over the private retail sales of liquor in the State in 2003, around 36,000 people were employed with the TASMAC. Seventeen years down the lane, the number of employees has come down to 27,000.

“None of these is a permanent employee,” claims a TASMAC worker from Dindigul. “We are all part-time contract employees. Even the supervisor, who must be a degree holder, draws a salary of ₹12,500 per month (take home ₹10,500). The salesmen draw ₹10,500 per month (take home ₹8,500), and this is after 12 salary revisions,” he added.