CHENNAI: Thousands of liquor consumers were left waiting outside Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) outlets in several parts of the state on Sunday as employees kept the shops shut in protest against the new environmental and social welfare cess introduced by the government. Meanwhile, Tasmac suspended nearly 10 employees after Prohibition and Excise Minister K Vignesh ordered action against staff who failed to open the outlets.
In Tiruvottiyur, consumers staged a protest demanding that the outlets be opened. A large number of police personnel deployed in front of the shop held talks with them. Police personnel were similarly stationed in front of several Tasmac outlets in and around Chennai to prevent untoward incidents.
Although the outlet in Saidapet (Chennai) remained closed, liquor sales continued at the bar attached to it. Acting on information, police rushed to the spot, seized 104 cases of liquor and detained two persons.
A Tasmac outlet in Shanthi Colony, Anna Nagar (Chennai), opened at noon but was forced to close within an hour as employees struggled to manage the heavy rush of customers.
Minister Vignesh told reporters that the green cess has been introduced to ensure transparency in the funds collected under the empty bottle buy-back scheme. He said the TVK government had identified systemic loopholes to prevent the collection of Rs 10 bribe, but alleged that some people were working against the government.
“We are paying electricity bills for Tasmac outlets and providing maintenance allowances. Steps are also being taken to pay rent for the outlets. However, the issue continues. We have held discussions with employees,” he added.
A senior Tasmac official told TNIE, “Employees did not give prior notice for this protest.”
T Dhanasekar, general secretary of the Tasmac Workers Association, told TNIE that the previous DMK government had introduced the scheme following a direction from the Madras HC. “Now, Tasmac has stopped collecting the separate Rs 10 under the scheme and introduced the cess instead,” he said.
He said the employees were required to scan each bottle twice. But many outlets have not been given enough scanning devices to carry out the process smoothly, he added.