CHENNAI: In a probe that seems to permeate the entire gamut of liquor trade in Tamil Nadu, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Tasmac officials to provide financial records of all the 4,829 Tasmac retail outlets and details about bar licences and breweries and distilleries, etc, following its recent search at the Tasmac headquarters and regional offices.
To comply with the direction, Tasmac district managers across Tamil Nadu have gathered data, and details collated so far have been submitted to the agency through the managing director’s office, officials said.
A senior Tasmac official told TNIE that last year, bar licences were issued through a tender process across the state. The ED inquired about the selection process, bar owners’ details, political connections, MRP violations, bar procedures, liquor procurement, and information on breweries, distilleries, and FL2 (Recreation Clubs) and FL3 (Star hotels) licencees, including their addresses.
ED query hints at a broader probe into Tasmac ops
The agency has also sought procurement records from the time of the pandemic in 2020, indicating a possible broader probe into Tasmac’s entire financial dealings and revenue management.
During the Covid, the ED raided Tasmacs outlets in key districts and seized documents. Based on the findings, the sleuths have now asked for details dating back to the pandemic, the official added. According to sources, the ED had also questioned the QR-code based billing system implemented in a few retail outlets. However, primarily, they are probing the financial transactions in bars attached to Tasmac outlets, sources said. TNIE had reported on violations of bars attached with Tasmac outlets in the city following which police inspected nearly 50 bars and recommended sealing six bars for violating rules.