CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) has sanctioned a festival advance of Rs 20,000 to eligible employees working in its retail outlets.
The corporation has also sanctioned a uniform allowance of Rs 2,000 per set, including the cost of cloth and stitching charges. Each eligible employee will be entitled to Rs 6,000 a year towards three sets of uniforms.
According to an order by Tasmac Managing Director K Nanthakumar, all senior regional managers have been instructed to implement the measures.
The order follows an announcement made by the prohibition and excise minister in the Assembly on August 31.
The festival advance will be interest-free and can be availed of for any one religious festival chosen by the employee, including Pongal, Deepavali, Christmas, Ramzan and Bakrid, or any other festival permitted by the government.
“The advance has to be admissible in respect of any one religious festival of the choice of the employee, so that the benefit is available to personnel of every community,” Nanthakumar said in the order.
He also directed that no instalment of the advance should be postponed or waived. “The recovery, once commenced, must be continued without interruption until the advance is fully recovered,” he said.
On the uniform allowance, Nanthakumar said the move is aimed at ensuring a “neat and professional appearance” at the retail outlets.
The allowance will be applicable to shop supervisors, salesmen and assistant salesmen on the rolls of Tasmac retail vending shops as on April 1 of the year for which the allowance is claimed. For 2026-27, the eligibility date will be the date on which the allowance is released, the order said.
Tasmac is also planning to make digital payment mandatory for consumers purchasing liquor worth over Rs 500.