Tamil Nadu Announces 25% Salary Hike for TASMAC Employees

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has announced a 25 percent salary hike for employees of the state-run liquor retail chain, TASMAC.The move is intended to curb corruption at retail outlets and put an end to the alleged practice of overcharging customers for liquor bottles. The decision as part of its broader efforts to reform the state's liquor retail system.

The government said complaints had been received that some TASMAC outlets were charging customers up to ₹10 above the prescribed price for liquor bottles. It believes that improving employee salaries will discourage such illegal collections. Minister Vignesh said this was the largest salary increase granted to TASMAC employees in the past 20 years and expressed confidence that better wages would enhance employee discipline and accountability.

The salary revision comes months after Chief Minister Joseph Vijay ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC outlets operating within a 500-metre radius of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. Of the state's 4,765 TASMAC outlets, 717 were identified as failing to comply with the prescribed norms, including 276 located near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands.

The closure of these outlets was aimed at reducing the availability of alcohol in public places and described it as a social reform measure. The TASMAC reforms are part of a broader series of welfare and governance initiatives undertaken by the TVK government, alongside measures such as free electricity for domestic consumers, a dedicated women's security force, and anti-drug squads in every district.