CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday said that consumers can lodge police complaints if excess amount, over and above the maximum retail price (MRP), is collected during purchase of liquor at Tasmac retail outlets, and ordered the police to take action on such complaints.
The court also directed the Home Secretary to take steps to provide police protection to outlets that witness a high footfall. Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan passed the order while hearing advocate D Devarajan’s petition seeking action against Tasmac staff who collect more than the MRP printed on liquor bottles.
He also inquired about the feasibility of deploying police personnel to manage crowds at Tasmac retail outlets with high footfall.
The petitioner had sought the registration of FIR against the employees of certain Tasmac outlets under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and money laundering proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, for recovering the excess amount collected during 2022-26 and remitting it to the government.
The judge said that supermarkets issue bills even for purchasing a tube of toothpaste, and questioned the challenges in issuing bills at the retail outlets of Tasmac, which generates huge revenue for the state’s exchequer.
Tasmac staff struggle to issue bills due to huge crowd
Recently, Justice Ilanthiraiyan ordered all the Tasmac retail outlets to issue bills to consumers for every bottle sold and maintain billing records. Referring to the submission of the government counsel that Tasmac has recently issued a circular instructing its employees to issue bills and maintain bill books on sale particulars, the judge said,
“Consumers can lodge complaints with the police if excess amount is collected without following the circular.” During the hearing on Friday, the petitioner-in-person submitted that the retail outlets did not issue bills, even on Thursday.
The government counsel informed that the Tasmac issued the circular on August 6 and the staff members are facing challenges in issuing bills as a large number of people throng outlets.
New cess on liquor
Chennai: Liquor prices in TN may go up as a bill has been introduced, enabling a new environmental cess of up to `20 per bottle to fund recycling, de-addiction, and ecological restoration