There have been widespread complaints about government-run TASMAC liquor stores charging more than the maximum retail price (MRP), with allegations that influential individuals are illegally profiting from these sales. Recently, a video featuring TASMAC Supervisor Raghavan has gone viral, in which he is confronted about the overpricing and admits to significant financial misconduct.
The video reveals that the TASMAC store in Somanayakkanpatti village near Jolarpet in the Tirupathur district charged an extra ₹5 to ₹10 per bottle. In the footage, Supervisor Raghavan explains that the extra money collected is used to pay SRM/HRM in Salem through the union account rather than directly handling the funds himself. He details how there are 500 shops under the Salem officer’s control, each contributing around ₹3,000, totaling approximately ₹1.5 crore across all shops.
Raghavan said, “SRM has 500 stores. We don’t handle the money directly; our union is in Vellore, and we transfer the funds through the account. From there, it reaches Salem. There are 500 shops under the control of one officer. Each store contributes ₹3,000, so roughly calculate the total amount. Besides this, we need to give a separate amount to that particular officer for deputations or transfers. At least five districts, such as Ranipet, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri, are under the officer’s control.”
Raghavan also claims that the current officer, a woman, never visits the stores personally. Instead, individuals associated with her come for checks, collect funds, and audit the accounts. During these audits, they reportedly receive additional bribes of ₹500 to ₹1,000. Raghavan admits that the extra charges of ₹5 to ₹10 per bottle are a means to cover these costs, though he acknowledges that it still falls short of compensating for the total amount.
Following the viral video, reports indicate that TASMAC officials are investigating Raghavan’s conduct.
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