CHENNAI : With the notification for Lok Sabha elections expected soon, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) has instructed all district managers to ensure no bulk sale of liquor takes place in any of the retail outlets.
A Tasmac official informed TNIE that the Election Commission of India has guidelines in place to closely monitor sales in retail liquor outlets once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, so that booze is not distributed to woo voters. As per the general guideline, if sale volume exceeds 30% of the average, there is a high possibility of bulk sale that needs to be investigated.
Additionally, outlets with a 25% increase in stock and those situated in remote locations or low-income areas are considered particularly vulnerable, the official noted. He added that about 500 such outlets have been identified in the state and monitoring teams have been deployed to ensure compliance.
Consumers will be restricted to a maximum of four 180ml (quarter) bottles each, since these bottles are most likely to be bought in bulk for distribution, he said.
And so, Tasmac has asked its district managers to regularly monitor sales and send weekly reports to the head office. Moreover, they have also been directed to ensure that GPS devices fitted on all trucks that transport liquor stock are properly functioning, the official added.
CCTV frenzy
Tasmac officials also mentioned that efforts are underway to make sure all retail outlets and bars are outfitted with CCTV cameras. As of last week, 3,941 out of 4,798 outlets had CCTV cameras, and the remaining are yet to be covered. Similarly, as of Monday, out of the 2,911 bars attached to retail outlets, 2,211 had cameras. Failure to comply will result in legal action, stated the officials.
On condition of anonymity, a Tasmac supervisor said, “Previously many bars in the state lacked such facilities and openly flouted rules with the support of politicians and officials.
Now, due to the ECI’s guidelines, these bar owners have begun installing cameras too.” Further noting violations such as operating kitchens inside bars (as only snacks and water bottles are allowed), the official urged for the continued presence of CCTVs in Tasmac outlets even after the election.