COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) is preparing to implement a buyback scheme of collecting empty liquor bottles in the Coimbatore district from April 1. The scheme was first introduced in the Nilgiris district on May 15, 2022. Tasmac will extend it to Coimbatore, which has 312 outlets, following Madras High Court’s direction in October last year.
“We have started training supervisors from Thursday. Other guidelines and framework will be announced soon,” a senior TASMAC official in Coimbatore told TNIE. TASMAC outlets will charge `10 more than the retail price of a liquor bottle and the amount will be returned to the customer when the bottle is handed back to the outlet.
The official said unlike in Nilgiris, buyers can return empty bottles at the outlets where they are bought. A John, a member of Tasmac Employees union, said, “We welcome the initiative, but there are several practical difficulties. There is no space for storage in outlets and even sales persons have to remain standing. The district needs a minimum of 1500 workmen for outlets. But, 200 posts are vacant. Also, the number of outlets has increased in recent times.”
The buy-back scheme, introduced first in the Nilgiris district to prevent injuries to animals, had been a huge success with over 70% of the bottles getting returned. However, Tasmac was highly reluctant to extend the scheme across the State and decided to introduce it in two districts such as Coimbatore and Perambalur on a pilot basis.