COIMBATORE: A day after Prohibition and Excise Minister K Vignesh said corruption to the tune of Rs 3,600 per year was ended in the Tasmac, customers visiting the state-owned liquor outlets have alleged that staff at several outlets are allegedly displaying personal UPI QR codes, unrelated to the corporation or its official systems, to collect payments.
This amount is being credited directly into private bank accounts, raising serious concerns over possible irregularities in cash and liquor stock management.
According to Tasmac norms, all cashless transactions must be processed only through the Point of Sale (PoS) machine provided to each outlet and staff are strictly prohibited from accepting payments via personal UPI IDs or third-party accounts.
However, multiple outlets in Coimbatore are reportedly flouting this rule.
K Kamaraj, a customer who visited a Tasmac outlet at Idayarpalayam, was asked to scan a private QR code to pay for his purchase and the amount was credited to an account 'KPN Perfect Steam Ironing'.
"When I asked why a third-party QR code was being used, the staff claimed that customers prefer not to have Tasmac transactions reflected in their bank statements. The staff said he would treat it as a cash transaction. This is a clear violation. The sale proceeds are going directly into someone else's private account," Kamaraj said.
When TNIE visited outlets on Nanjundapuram Road and in Singanallur, staff were seen accepting payments through personal UPI QR codes instead of the official PoS machines.
Each Tasmac outlet must have a dedicated bank account and cashless payments via PoS are credited directly to this account, while cash collections must be deposited by noon the next day. However, the alleged practice of routing digital payments through private accounts creates scope for discrepancies between actual sales and recorded revenue.
For instance, if an outlet records `5 lakh in daily sales — `2 lakh cashless and `3 lakh in cash— only the cash portion must be physically deposited. This method allegedly enables manipulation of accounts and paves the path for potential siphoning of funds.
When contacted, a senior Tasmac official said, "Staff should accept cashless payments only through the official PoS machine. They are not allowed to use third-party UPI ids. Customers who notice such violations can report them, and we will take strict action against the erring staff."
