Amid continuing allegations that consumers are being charged extra at TASMAC outlets across Tamil Nadu, employee unions have now claimed that workers themselves are being forced to bear substantial monthly expenses to keep liquor shops operational, as reported in The New Indian Express.
In a recent petition submitted to Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, the Tamil Nadu TASMAC Employees Association detailed what it described as various monthly expenditures incurred by employees. According to the association, a TASMAC outlet generating liquor sales worth approximately ₹3 lakh per day requires employees to collectively spend around ₹1.33 lakh per month from their own pockets.
The association’s expenditure list included ₹60,000 towards rent, ₹15,000 for liquor unloading operations, ₹5,000 as political donations, ₹3,000 under a category labelled “Media,” and ₹45,000 allegedly paid as bribes to officials. The petition also referred to electricity and other operational expenses that employees claim are inadequately covered by the corporation.
R. Velusami, Coimbatore district in-charge of the TASMAC Employees Association affiliated with CITU, stated that while Tasmac allocates a fixed amount towards rent based on the location of an outlet, the amount provided is often insufficient. He said employees, along with bar owners, are compelled to bear the additional rental costs.
Velusami further stated that TASMAC provides only ₹7,000 per month towards electricity charges, whereas actual electricity bills for many outlets range between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 per month, resulting in a significant financial burden on workers.
A senior TASMAC official acknowledged that employees face additional expenses relating to rent, electricity, bottle breakages, and labour costs associated with unloading liquor stock. However, the official rejected the allegation that bribes were being paid to officials.
The official stated that proposals had already been submitted to the department seeking increased allocations for rent and electricity expenses. The department had also been requested to bear the costs arising from bottle breakages and payments to workers engaged in loading and unloading operations.
Responding to the concerns, Tamil Nadu Minister for Prohibition and Excise K. Vigneshwaran reportedly stated that the government was planning a comprehensive restructuring of TASMAC operations. As part of the proposed reforms, he said electricity bill payments would be centralised and directly handled by the TASMAC administration.
The allegations come at a time when TASMAC outlets across the state continue to face scrutiny over claims that customers are routinely charged amounts above the printed retail price of liquor bottles. Employee unions have argued that such unofficial collections are linked to the mounting operational expenses that workers claim they are forced to bear.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
